Progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has defeated moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic primary, which became a proxy battle for the party’s direction. Tuesday’s elections also included a Democratic primary victory by Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell in his rematch against Rep. Cori Bush, who was targeted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee after denouncing Israel’s military action in Gaza.
President Donald Trump swings through Las Vegas on Wednesday for a speech on the economy after his Republican National Committee fundraiser at his Southern California golf course, where authorities arrested a man they said was claiming to be part of the security detail.
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against Republican Rep. Max Miller as the embattled Ohio congressman faces escalating pressure to resign from his former father-in-law, Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, and Trump. Democrats are eyeing the chance to flip Miller’s congressional seat.
Here is the latest:
The Democratic U.S. Senate contest in Michigan has surpassed turnout for previous Senate and gubernatorial primaries and almost every presidential primary going back to at least 1978, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.
As of noon ET Wednesday, a total of 1,528,280 votes had been counted. The total could end up being higher as ballots continue to be processed.
But it already surpasses the roughly 1,181,000 votes counted in the 2020 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, and the approximately 1,131,000 votes counted in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
The 2026 turnout total so far trails the nearly 1,588,000 votes counted in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. About 1,117,000 votes were counted in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
The House Ethics Committee recommended the Republican be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office. Edwards denied intending any of his conduct to be a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would “lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.”
State law requires Edwards to submit his Wednesday withdrawal in writing to the state Board of Elections before ballots are mailed to overseas voters and the military. Since the primaries were months ago, the Republican executive committee in his district will name a replacement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is already juggling other disruptions as he tries to retain the GOP House majority, including in Ohio where Rep. Max Miller is under pressure to resign over his own ethics investigation.
The seat Edwards will be vacating includes progressive Asheville, and farmer Jamie Ager, the Democratic nominee, is hoping to flip it.
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The U.S. removed sanctions on three Iran-linked companies, including Fly Baghdad Airlines, which was sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Also removed from the sanctions is Fly Baghdad’s CEO and two aircraft.
In addition to lifting sanctions on Fly Baghdad, the U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked company. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions said the decision to remove Fly Baghdad from the designations list was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward Iran’s government.
— By Fatima Hussein
El-Sayed said he wants to unify people rather than divide them, and that people should focus on ending wars and corporate influence in politics. He has previously faced criticism for calling Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide.”
El-Sayed said “we can be talking about everybody’s pain.”
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as I’ve got a commitment to my own kids,” he added. “That’s the highest commitment I can offer.”
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, whose retirement led to the primary that Abdul El-Sayed won, said Wednesday that the new nominee needs to start reaching out to “folks” to unify the party.
“I’m sure he will, and that it has to start immediately, which, he assured me will happen,” Peters said.
Peters had little to say about El-Sayed’s views on Israel and whether his win marks a shift for the Democratic Party. El-Sayed has criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza as well as pro-Israel campaign spending to defeat him in the primary.
“He campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves,” Peters said.
The Republican Senate nominee posted a lengthy statement on social media Wednesday, saying his general election opponent “is leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.”
Rogers also swiped at El-Sayed for stumping with popular but controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has said “America deserved 9/11.”
Rogers said he never imagined he’d face an opponent with that view, ascribing the comment to the candidate, not the online personality.
His own campaign, Rogers said, is based on the notion that “Michigan has a future built on common sense.”
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent roughly $30 million in a failed effort to defeat El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, says it’s committed to opposing him in the general election.
“Our members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November,” the group’s statement said.
El-Sayed responded on Wednesday: “You want more pain?”
The son of Egyptian immigrants made AIPAC and the tens of millions of dollars it spent to support Rep. Haley Stevens a centerpiece of his primary campaign. He has called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” described the Israeli government as “evil,” and argued that AIPAC’s influence distorts Democratic politics.
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the Senate Republican leader called the GOP nominee “a great candidate, very experienced” who is “running a terrific campaign.”
Thune spoke as El-Sayed addressed supporters at a victory news conference in Michigan and issued a five-debate challenge to Rogers.
Thune called the Democratic nominee “the extreme radical choice,” and said Democrats are “going to have to accept those positions that he has been advocating for in a general election setting, which I think puts us in a pretty good spot.”
That’s the theme of a new commercial out Wednesday from the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
The ad features video clips of El-Sayed “in his own words,” calling himself “dangerous” and vowing that, “under my leadership, our state will not expend a dime enforcing federal immigration policy.”
The group says it’s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to air the ad.
El-Sayed focused on affordability and healthcare in his speech, inviting people who voted for Trump in 2024 to “join this movement now.”
He positioned himself as the candidate who will stand up to Trump, in contrast to Rogers, who El-Sayed said went to Florida “so he could lick every single boot Donald Trump owns.”
“I know you’re gonna say no because you’re a coward,” El-Sayed, addressing his Republican opponent directly.
“Five debates, all right? If you’re willing to stand with me and have a conversation, you and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes.”
“In the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world,” El-Sayed told supporters.
El-Sayed was heavily outspent in his primary campaign, and his insurgent candidacy was opposed by the Democratic establishment.
The vice president was addressing a roundtable focused on combating fraud, and making the point that the work of a task force he’s leading needs congressional approval to prevent its results from evaporating once the Trump administration is over.
“God forbid you’re going to have President El-Sayed in a few years,” Vance said, referencing Abdul El-Sayed, who clinched Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary just moments prior to his remarks.
“We don’t want him to undo all the incredible work that we’ve been doing,” Vance said.
Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, urged unity within the Democratic party.
“We have got to work together to take this country back,” Hertel said. “I can tell you what we need is a fighter ... Abdul El-Sayed has been a fighter for the people over and over again.”
McMorrow said that “for all of the differences that we may have had in the primary, that those differences pale in comparison to the contrast that we face in November.”
Republicans are counting on rifts inside the Democratic Party, but “this is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together,” McMorrow said.
Before speaking to supporters on Wednesday morning, El-Sayed spoke to state party chair Curtis Hertel Jr.
El-Sayed was flanked by Mallory McMorrow, the state senator who dropped her own primary campaign earlier this year after failing to gain traction. She announced her support for El-Sayed, and Stevens has as well.
Hertel stressed Democratic enthusiasm as the party looks toward November.
“Yesterday was the highest turnout for Democrats in the history of a primary,” Hertel said.
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who backed Abdul El-Sayed, said in an interview that his victory is a “very significant win” and shows that his politics has gained traction with voters.
“This should be a wake-up call to, you know, the Washington Democratic establishment and the Washington insiders in the pundit class,” he said.
Van Hollen stressed how important winning in the fall is for the party. “We need to win Michigan, he can win Michigan,” the senator said, adding that El-Sayed’s “brand of populism can connect with voters across the political spectrum.”
Haley Stevens said in a statement Wednesday that she is “proud to offer my support” to Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
Stevens said it’s important for Democrats to back him so the party can keep the Senate seat and win the chamber in the midterms.
“Donald Trump and Mike Rogers want us to come out of this primary tired and divided, so their billionaire backers can come in and let multimillionaire Mike Rogers walk away with this Senate seat,” she said.
El-Sayed’s defeat of Rep. Haley Stevens is a massive victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state.
The real test of the progressives’ strength will now come in a November matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed must now unite a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary.
The race remained tight throughout Tuesday night, with a winner not declared until early Wednesday. In his final remarks before the race was called, El-Sayed said “tomorrow we begin to mend fences.”
Rep. Haley Stevens called Abdul El-Sayed to concede in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan on Wednesday morning, according to El-Sayed’s campaign.
A representative for Stevens’ campaign did not return a request for comment. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.
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The draft agreed to by Iranian and Omani negotiators awaits final approval from Iran’s supreme leader, two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the U.S.-Iranian dispute over shipping through the waterway. They said it is tied to the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran in June that aimed to end the fighting and reopen the strait, which ultimately collapsed.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said the potential deal will pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations to reach a final deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.
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By Elena Becatoros, Samy Magdy and Darlene Superville
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its list of targets to 58 House seats it believes are competitive, including districts Trump won easily less than two years ago.
The ambitious list reflects Trump’s diminished standing with the electorate and Democrats’ belief they can capitalize on voters’ frustrations over the economy, the war in Iran and the chaotic nature of Republican control during Trump’s second term.
“MAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves ‘safe’ have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement.
Democrats need just a handful of seats to erase Republicans’ narrow majority and control the chamber.
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Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks during a primary election night event Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks during a primary election night event Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Marine One, with President Donald Trump onboard, lifts off near Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump, left, is escorted by Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson, commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, right, as he walk from Marine One to Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
