Democrats Spent Millions to Stop El-Sayed. They Failed.

Democrats Spent Millions to Stop El-Sayed. They Failed.

Author: Matt Diemer & Laura Rodriguez-Carbone August 13, 2026 Duration: 32:37

The Democratic establishment spent heavily trying to stop Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Democratic voters chose him anyway.


Matt Diemer and Laura Rodriguez-Carbone examine El-Sayed’s narrow victory over Haley Stevens, the outside spending that flooded Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, Chuck Schumer’s declining influence, AIPAC’s role, and what the result says about the growing power of progressives and the Democratic Socialists of America.

They also discuss Donavan McKinney and William Lawrence winning Michigan congressional primaries, Cori Bush losing her comeback campaign against Wesley Bell, and Third Way’s planned $15 million effort to counter the DSA through 2028.


Then the conversation turns to Ohio, where Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton announced her support for Issue 3, the Republican-backed constitutional voter ID amendment. Ohio already requires photo identification to vote, raising questions about why Acton supports putting those requirements into the state Constitution and whether she is repeating Tim Ryan’s failed strategy of adopting Republican positions to attract voters who may never cross party lines.


Are Democratic voters moving left, rejecting incumbents, or simply demanding candidates who accomplish something? And how much money will Democratic organizations waste trying to control the answer?


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There’s a unique kind of insight that only comes from having stood on the ballot yourself. Diemer & DiBello brings together two people who’ve done exactly that-Matthew Diemer, who ran for Congress, and his co-host, a former candidate for Mayor of Cleveland. Their conversations move seamlessly between the high-stakes theater of national politics and the grounded, gritty realities of life in Ohio, offering a perspective that’s less from the press gallery and more from behind the curtain. Each episode feels like a candid, sometimes humorous, and always substantive debrief between two insiders who understand the weight of decisions made in city hall and the Capitol. You’ll hear them parse the news not just as commentators, but as individuals who have personally navigated the pressures of campaigns and public scrutiny. This podcast digs into how policy and culture collide, sharing personal reflections and journal-like observations on society that you won’t find in standard news coverage. It’s a blend of the immediate and the intimate, making sense of the headlines through the lens of direct experience. For anyone curious about the human side of politics and the local stories that shape our broader national conversations, this is a compelling listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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