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Plat Earthers

After Graham Platner’s flame-out in Maine, Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed is the progressive left’s best—and last—chance to prove they can win a Senate seat in a purple state.

Abdul El-Sayed
U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks at Senator Bernie Sanders 'Fighting Oligarchy' rally in Detroit, 2026. Photo: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Leigh Ann Caldwell
July 12, 2026

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The progressive left was on a hot streak, electing democratic socialists as mayors, ousting lazy incumbents in House primaries, and on the verge of winning top-tier Senate races. But after the spectacular collapse of Graham Platner in Maine, who was supposed to crack the code on how to win back white, working-class voters, the progressive movement is once again on its back foot, fielding potshots from disgruntled Democrats who are blaming the left for jeopardizing the party’s chance at a Senate majority.