Are progressives having a political moment in the 2026 Democratic primaries?
Yes, according to Chris Hayes — and the Michigan Democratic Senate primary is the clearest evidence yet. Abdul El-Sayed, a self-described progressive who lost a Michigan gubernatorial primary by 20 points against Gretchen Whitmer, defeated a candidate backed by the full weight of the state party establishment and $60 million in outside spending. Hayes is unambiguous: this result would have been impossible two, four, or six years ago.
The scale of the opposition El-Sayed overcame makes the result all the more striking. Incumbent Senator Gary Peters, Governor Whitmer, and the state Democratic Party apparatus all lined up against him. On the money side, AIPAC alone spent approximately $30 million in the primary — with an additional roughly $30 million in spending still undisclosed pending FEC filings. That El-Sayed won anyway points to something structural, not just a one-off upset.
Hayes draws a direct line between this result and a broader pattern emerging in 2026 primaries. Michigan was not an isolated case: in Wisconsin, progressive candidate Francesca Hong advanced in the Democratic Senate primary despite a Republican super PAC spending $5 million specifically to boost her, presumably judging her the weaker general-election opponent. Hayes argues the Democratic primary electorate — which is categorically different from the general electorate — is visibly moving. You can listen to the full episode on Listenly to hear Hayes and the Pod Save America team work through what this shift means for November and beyond.
"There is no universe in which he would have emerged victorious two, four, six years ago. Like something is obviously happening among the Democratic primary electorate, which is a different electorate than the general electorate."
— Chris Hayes, Host / Anchor, MSNOW (MSNBC) · Pod Save America, August 2026
About Chris Hayes
Chris Hayes is a prominent anchor and host at MSNOW (MSNBC), one of the most visible figures in American political media. He is brought onto this episode of Pod Save America specifically to analyze the results of the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and assess what they reveal about progressive momentum within the party. Host Alex Wagner introduces Hayes as someone who is "wise, but also just ballsy enough to say what they really think" — a framing that signals he is being brought in not for diplomatic hedging but for a direct, informed read on a fast-moving political situation. His standing at a major national news network, combined with his close observation of Democratic primary dynamics over multiple election cycles, positions him as a credible authority on whether the El-Sayed result represents a genuine realignment or an exceptional one-off. On this question, Hayes is clear: it is a realignment.