What the left’s Michigan breakthrough does – and doesn’t – mean: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskWhat the left’s Michigan breakthrough does – and doesn’t – mean: From the Politics DeskPlus, Ohio GOP Rep. Max Miller faces growing calls to step aside. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleKornacki: Abdul El-Sayed ‘really ran up the score’ with young voters in Michigan primary win16:35Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAug. 6, 2026, 5:07 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.In today’s edition, Jonathan Allen digs into the lessons progressives can take away from Abdul El-Sayed’s victory. Plus, Megan Brand reports on the escalating GOP pressure on Rep. Max Miller to step aside. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Adam WollnerWhat the left’s Michigan breakthrough does — and doesn’t — meanAnalysis by Jonathan AllenThe progressive left is ecstatic over Abdul El-Sayed’s win in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary this week, hailing it as a sign of a seismic shift in their direction. “Abdul’s victory was, in my opinion, the most extraordinary victory that I can think of in modern American politics,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the godfather of the contemporary progressive movement.That’s quite a statement from a man who watched President Donald Trump win twice in the last three presidential election cycles, including once after he was indicted in four separate cases.It is also hyperbole that exaggerates the significance of a single open-seat Senate primary. It makes sense for Sanders and other progressives to do that because they are trying to build momentum for their effort to reshape the Democratic Party. But by raising such a ruckus about the “extraordinary” triumph, he is also pointing to a fundamental truth: this was a rare event. The left paid less attention on Tuesday night to Rep. Wesley Bel...