As the vote count progresses in Michigan’s fiercely contested Senate race, distinct class-based divisions are becoming apparent.
Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, is seeing strong support in the state’s most affluent and well-educated regions. In contrast, Rep. Haley Stevens is garnering more votes in areas with lower average incomes and a smaller percentage of college graduates.
In nearly two dozen counties with at least 95 percent of expected ballots counted, El-Sayed is securing 58.4 percent of the vote in areas where at least 30 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree, according to a POLITICO analysis of county-level data. Conversely, Stevens is leading with 51.4 percent in counties where less than 30 percent of adults have a college education. El-Sayed is also ahead in counties with higher median incomes, while Stevens is leading in those with lower incomes.
These early results mirror a broader trend seen this year, as Democrats consider strategies to regain working-class voters. In primaries, progressive candidates have generally performed better among wealthier and more educated voters, whereas moderate Democrats have seen greater success in lower-income and less educated areas.
However, an exception is Oakland County in Michigan, which is one of the most educated counties in the state. Here, the vote is nearly evenly split between El-Sayed and Stevens, with over 90 percent of the county’s vote counted. Most of this county falls within Stevens’ current congressional district.
