First Thing: Democrats look forward after progressive El-Sayed victory in Michigan

Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan's Democratic primary for US Senate, the Guardian reports. Despite some leading Democrats backing his opponent Haley Stevens, the party is uniting behind the former public health official as November's midterms approach. His victory could signal a shift in Democratic strategy—challenging the old playbook that required swing-state candidates to run from the center. For Democrats to retake the Senate, they'll need to hold Michigan and Georgia, flip three Republican-held seats, and unseat the GOP incumbent in Maine.

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