El-Sayed's victory sends tremors through Democratic Party

The tremors from Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Senate primary will have been felt hundreds of miles away by the Democratic Party leadership.

In a year in which Republicans appear to be facing significant electoral headwinds, Democratic primary voters have taken a chance on a left-wing insurgent, raising the stakes in a Senate race in November that could decide overall control of the upper chamber.

The question is whether the way El-Sayed has electrified the party base and tapped into their anger will work on general election voters. And whether an unabashedly left-wing Democrat can win in a swing state.

The party establishment, which had backed his opponent, will hope so.

Primary results across five states on Tuesday were a snapshot of the mood of the American electorate three months before the midterm elections.

Abdul El-Sayed's victory on Tuesday night in Michigan's contentious Democratic primary race for Senate was hardly a surprise. He had led by a comfortable margin over congresswoman Haley Stevens for weeks.

While the final projected result was much closer than those surveys had suggested, again raising questions about modern polling accuracy, it doesn't diminish the shockwaves the victory of the former Michigan health official is sending throughout the Democratic Party.

Left-wing political outsider wins Democratic Senate primary in Michigan