For over a year, both Stevens and El-Sayed have been laying out starkly different visions for Michigan and for the country.
El-Sayed, who is 41 years old and the son of Egyptian immigrants, would be the first Muslim senator in the US, if elected.
He’s been endorsed by leading left-wing politicians such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
El-Sayed has campaigned on issues such as Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Polling from the last year suggests healthcare costs remain among the top issues for voters this year, alongside the rising cost of petrol, groceries and housing.
El-Sayed’s affordability platform – including his focus on health insurance – is why Michigan voter Les Lukacs is casting his ballot for him.
The longstanding Democrat, who does not have health insurance, said he would not vote for Stevens in November if El-Sayed lost the primary.
“We can barely afford groceries and gas,” he said. “I have to make sacrifices – and healthcare is one of them.”
El-Sayed told the BBC that if the Democratic Party had more concerns for everyday people “they’d be fighting on the same policies I’m fighting for”.
