WARREN, MI - Mike Bouchard Jr., the Republican nominee for Michigan's 10th Congressional District, says Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow Senate primary victory is no sign Michigan as a whole is embracing socialism and that the progressive Democrat's message is dividing the country.
"El-Sayed was campaigning with Hasan Piker the day before the election, Hasan Piker said that America deserved 9/11, we did not deserve 9/11, tell that to the thousands of people who died in 9/11 and the thousands of American military who died abroad defending this country," Bouchard, a Bronze Star recipient who served as an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division and an intelligence officer in the 82nd Airborne Division, told Fox News Digital.
"The fact that that is coming to our streets, that someone says that America deserves something like that, that is ripping America apart block by block. We need to come together, build this country up, and find real solutions together. I'm done with this partisan politics and trying to bring socialism into a country that is not what we were founded on."
El-Sayed was crowned the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan on Tuesday night, winning a razor-thin contest by less than a percentage point against the establishment-backed Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens.
Bouchard told Fox News Digital that El-Sayed’s victory shows a "split" in the Democratic Party but said that while the socialist wing is the "loudest voice" in the room, he doesn’t believe most Michigan voters are swayed by far-left politicians.
"Absolutely not," Bouchard said. "The people in Michigan are hard workers. They work hard, they love their families, and you know what? They're moderates. They go back and forth. They look at Democrats, they'll look at Republicans. They don't want partisan politics. They want someone who's going to deliver results for them. And that's why I got in this race is to deliver real, meaningful results."
Bouchard, the son of longtime Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, reacted to the much talked-about socialist wave in the Democratic Party as far-left candidates win across the country, and now in the Midwest with candidates like El-Sayed and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.
EL-SAYED CAMPAIGN BACKED BY OVER $100,000 FROM DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF GROUP WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES
"When the Berlin wall came down, which way did the people run?" Bouchard said. "Did they run towards a communist Soviet union, or did they run towards freedom in America? Socialism doesn't work. It's been proven time and time again. I've fought all across the world and I've seen what socialism does to a country. We cannot allow that to come here."
"Yes, I'm running for change, but socialism is not the answer, and so Abdul El-Sayed stands for defunding the police. And it's been really interesting to see how my opponent, who's soft on crime, works with El-Sayed when he's trying to tear this country down. I want to build this country up."
Bouchard will face Democrat Christina Hines, a former county prosecutor, in November after he won Tuesday night’s GOP primary to replace Rep. John James, who is running for governor, in Congress. Bouchard told Fox News Digital that the contrast between him and Hines on crime will be a main focus of his.
Hines has faced criticism from her Republican opponents on the crime issue and Bouchard said Hines "stands for soft on crime policies and a woke agenda that I just don't align with."
" You look across a lot of the prosecutors across the country, some enforce the rules on the books, some don't, some blame victims, and some are really kind to the offenders, I stand for protecting victims and making sure that the offenders go to prison," Bouchard said. "And so I've seen people praise my opponent for being kind and compassionate to offenders. I stand for the victims. People in this district want to be safe and if you're not safe, you can't do anything else. You can't leave your house. So from the southern border to crime across the district, I'm gonna stand up for the people of this district."
Hines pushed back on Bouchard’s criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital, contrasting her career as a prosecutor with Bouchard’s military background.
"Mike Bouchard Jr has never put a predator behind bars, and he’s never lived in Macomb a day in his life. I spent my entire career working with law enforcement to put serial rapists, child predators, murderers, and traffickers in prison. I’m running for Congress to protect the families in my community, and to fight against the corruption that’s rampant in DC."
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign for comment.
