Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed appeared on "Meet the Press" and revealed minor details about his phone call with former President Barack Obama after a razor-thin primary victory in Michigan on Aug. 4.
Days after his victory over Rep. Haley Stevens, the progressive said he spoke with Obama as Democrats seek unity during an interview Sunday, Aug. 9 with moderator Kristen Welker.
"I like to keep private conversations private, but it was a really warm and inspiring conversation," El-Sayed said. He said that he never saw himself as a candidate for public office until Obama's win the year after he graduated from the University of Michigan.
"I then watched the next year Barack Hussein Obama run for and win the presidency," El-Sayed added.
"I watched him serve with a level of class, a level of elegance that we could only pine for now." Obama won Michigan during both of his White House bids. President Donald Trump won the key swing state in 2016 and lost Michigan to Joe Biden, who served as Obama's vice president, in 2020. The state flipped back to Trump in 2024.
El-Sayed praised Obama on "Meet the Press" and said he hopes the former president will join the campaign trail, telling Welker that Obama is somebody "who knows a lot about winning Michigan."
"I really enjoyed the conversation," El-Sayed told Welker. "I was grateful for his advice. It was very warm and very inviting. And I know that he knows the critical role that Michigan is going to play in holding Trump accountable, in winning back the Senate and in building forward the future that we need."
El-Sayed received criticism during his campaign for the Senate for appearances alongside popular and controversial streamer Hasan Piker, whose made comments some consider inflammatory about the United States.
A staunch critic of the Israeli government, El-Sayed differed with Stevens, a self-proclaimed Zionist. El-Sayed garnered the support of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and her "Squad" counterpart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens garnered endorsements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and outgoing Michigan Sen. Gary Peters.
Obama declined to endorse in the race but loomed large in the primary battle. Stevens stressed her role as chief of staff in Obama's auto bailout in Michigan during speeches and in her campaign ads, a part of her resume she has wielded since her first congressional run in 2018.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abdul El-Sayed reveals Obama call as Michigan Democrats seek unity
