In today’s edition … the Senate has a long to-do list before leaving town … a mysterious source of cheap gas … but first …
El-Sayed wins Michigan primary, setting up crucial Senate race
Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary Wednesday morning for an open Senate seat in Michigan, giving Democrats an unapologetically progressive candidate in a crucial race as they fight to take back control of the Senate.
The victory of El-Sayed, a former public health official backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), is a high-profile triumph for the progressive movement.
In a close race that wasn’t called until Wednesday morning, he defeated Rep. Haley Stevens even as the Democratic establishment rushed to help her campaign and support from outside groups gave her a massive advertising advantage.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer all endorsed Stevens, with Schumer saying he thought she had the best shot at holding the seat in the general election. Other Democrats — including Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) — threw their support behind El-Sayed.
Israel became a flash point in the race. Stevens was criticized for being supported by a super PAC tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. El-Sayed has faced scrutiny for campaigning with Hasan Piker, a streamer who once said the United States “deserved 9/11” and has described Hamas as less objectionable than Israel.
Republicans have rallied around former congressman Mike Rogers, who did not face opposition in the primary. Rogers came close to winning Michigan’s other Senate seat in 2024, losing to Rep. Elissa Slotkin even as Donald Trump carried the state.
El-Sayed’s victory adds to recent wins by progressive challengers, who defeated three House Democrats in New York and Colorado in June.
Another progressive, former congresswoman Cori Bush, fared worse on Tuesday, losing her primary in a rematch against Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Missouri).
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On the Hill
The Senate is set to leave at the end of the week for a five-week recess — but Senate Republicans still have a lot of work to do before they skip town.
The Senate is working to pass a funding bill to avert a potential government shutdown starting Oct. 1 — something neither party wants to deal with weeks before the midterm elections. The first procedural vote on the measure passed 89-4 on Monday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) is also hustling to pass another bill with overwhelming bipartisan support: the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026. The bill — which Graham, the late Republican senator from South Carolina, championed before his sudden death last month — would add fresh sanctions on Russia in support of Ukraine.
Such strong bipartisan support is rare for major legislation in the bitterly divided Senate of the Trump era — but it does not guarantee the chamber will be able to pass both bills this week.
The Senate’s byzantine rules force it to move slowly unless there’s unanimous consent: no objections from a single senator. So Thune is working to reach agreements with senators who object to the legislation — by, say, guaranteeing a vote on an amendment to a bill. Senators are rarely more amenable to such deals than right before a long recess.
The Senate could also try this week to confirm Todd Blanche, Trump’s nominee to be attorney general.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Blanche’s nomination Tuesday after Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) reached a deal with the Trump administration. Blanche on Sunday formally rescinded an order issued a month ago to set up a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who said they had been prosecuted for political purposes. The move sparked a rare rebellion from Senate Republicans, some of whom feared it would be used to compensate people convicted of attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
But it’s unclear that Blanche has the votes to be confirmed. No Democrats support his nomination. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Tuesday that she would not vote for him, citing steps he has taken to erode the Justice Department’s independence.
Two other Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), have not said whether they will support Blanche.
Some Republicans are pushing to do even more this week. Thune has not ruled out taking the first step toward passing legislation to send more money to the Pentagon and provide aid to farmers. But it’s not clear that enough Republicans are on board with the idea, which would require the support of almost every Republican because Democrats oppose it.
Trump has demanded that the Senate also pass the Save America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting bill that Thune has said again and again does not have enough support to pass, before leaving town. Some Republicans have called for the Senate to remain in Washington until the bill passes, although others have said it is pointless.
Thune said Tuesday that he was not isolated from Trump even though he has resisted the president’s entreaties to keep the Senate in session until the voting bill is passed — but he also expressed frustration that some of the bill’s advocates refuse to acknowledge that it does not have the 50 votes needed to pass.
“It seems to me some days that I’m the only one here who can count to 50 in this town,” Thune told reporters.
What we’re watching
Adam Hamilton, a United Methodist pastor who has raised more than $4 million for his campaign, won the Democratic Senate nomination in Kansas. He’ll face Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in November.
We’re watching whether this race becomes competitive.
There’s reason for skepticism: Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. Still, it’s not that much more Republican than some states that Democrats are targeting.
Trump won Kansas by 16 points in 2024. He won Texas — where polls show a close race between Democratic state Rep. James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton — by about 14 points. And he won Iowa — another state with a competitive Senate race this year — by about 13 points.
The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the race to “Likely Republican” from “Solid Republican” Tuesday night after Hamilton won the primary. We’ll be keeping an eye on the polling in this race.
Our picks
- Judge dismisses Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy charges against Oath Keepers, from Salvador Rizzo.
- Democrat exits Senate race in South Dakota, clearing way for independent, from Ben Binday.
- Rep. Max Miller under House ethics investigation for domestic abuse claims, from Mariana Alfaro and Amy B. Wang.
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My colleagues who cover Capitol Hill for The Post and I have been debating our favorite Beyoncé songs.
Jarrell Dillard, our congressional economic policy correspondent, says “Irreplaceable.” Alexei Koseff, who writes accountability and enterprise stories about Congress, is a fan of “Crazy in Love.” We asked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) to settle it for us — and she said “Don’t Hurt Yourself.”
Please nominate your own favorites by sending a note to Jarrell: [email protected].
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