Michigan Democrats at convention: Calls to unify, fight against Trump

At its convention, the Michigan Democratic Party preached unity after a contentious primary, rallied against the Trump administration
Some party tensions persist, and governor candidate Jocelyn Benson did not share a stage with US Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed
Democratic and Republican candidates will go head to head in November general election

LANSING — Michigan Democrats officially nominated Winnie Brinks for lieutenant governor and rallied around the ticket this weekend, preaching party unity while railing against Republicans and President Donald Trump’s actions in his second term.

“We are united around our vision of lowering costs to the people of Michigan, of fighting corruption, of ensuring that we have people-driven leaders,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson told reporters after the convention Saturday. “We’re all singing the same song, all talking about the same thing.”

The candidates have their work cut out for them to rally voters around the ticket following a divisive Democratic primary earlier this month, duringwhichthe US Senate race in particular split the party between its progressive and moderate factions.

In the party’s first statewide gathering since the primary, held at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing, Benson and US Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed never shared the stage and neither referenced the other by name in their speeches to the crowd.

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But both stressed the importance of defeating Republicans in the general election, claiming Republicanswould follow Trump’s marching orders to the detriment of Michigan residents.

“We’re up against Trumpism in the form of a guy like (Republican US Senate candidate) Mike Rogers, a guy who wants to rubber-stamp every single thing Donald Trump wants to do for his petty little vanity,” El-Sayed told reporters ahead of the proceedings.

Rounding out the top of the Democratic ticket are secretary of state candidate Garlin Gilchrist, the current lieutenant governor, and attorney general candidate Eli Savit, who is Washtenaw County prosecutor, both of whom also spoke to party faithful Saturday.

The convention comes a week after Republicans officially nominated Jay DeBoyer as GOP gubernatorial candidate John James’ running mate and honored Rogers, secretary of state candidate Anthony Forlini and attorney general candidate Doug Lloyd, who argued their slate would protect Michigan from socialism and painted their opponents as extreme.

Following the Democrats’ gathering, Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runstead suggested the “uneasiness and discomfort” of party delegates was “on full display.”

Here are some takeaways from the state Democratic convention:

Takeaway #1: Message of unity

Democratic candidates and party leaders who addressed the crowd stressed the importance of coming together to defeat Republicans following the primary cycle.

“We have got to be united because of what we face in this country,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel told the crowd, citing high costs of living, stagnant wages and other issues facing Michigan residents.

Portia Roberson, one of the state’s Democratic National Committee representatives, put it more bluntly in a brief speech to attendees: “If you’re not happy, get out of your feelings.”

Michigan is considered a major battleground in Democrats’ fight to make gains in Congress and create a roadblock for the Trump administration during his final two years in office.

At the state level, Democrats are fighting to retain control in a state where all three statewide elected offices have been filled by members of their party since the 2018 election.

Takeaway #2: Trouble in paradise?

Despite the show of support from top officials, there are still signs of discontent among factions of the party who didn’t back El-Sayed in the primary.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel skipped the convention due to harassment concerns and said in an interview with The Atlantic that she’s begun to “perceive an enormous amount of anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party.”

Other notable Democratic officials, including outgoing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and sitting members of Congress, were noticeably absent.

Many Jewish Democrats remain uncomfortable with El-Sayed’s positions and comments made during the primary, Nessel said, including his critiques of Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, remarks made in the aftermath of the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield this spring and his association with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.

Nessel said she agrees with El-Sayed on most issues — and told the outlet she’d “amputate my right arm before I fill in the oval next to Mike Rogers’s name” — but isn’t convinced he fully understands the context of why some of his actions during the primary upset so many Jewish residents.

El-Sayed, who spoke to various party caucuses during convention proceedings, told reporters he apologizes to “anybody who feels like my comments might have been hurtful,” but encouraged voters to hear him out and come together as a party.

“This election is not about the past. This election is about the future,” he said. “If we’re serious about protecting our democracy, if we’re serious about standing up for unions and providing health care, then we need to be serious about what it takes to unify and win in November.”

US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters ahead of the Michigan Democratic Party convention on Aug. 29, 2026. (Lauren Gibbons/Bridge Michigan)

Takeaway #3: Taking on Trump

Unlike at the Republican convention, where Trump was rarely mentioned, Democrats frequently invoked the president’s name as a rallying cry to motivate party activists.

Gilchrist warned that electing Trump-friendly Republicans could result in election interference, claiming that Trump is “coming for our votes and our elections” and promising if elected to protect personal voting data from the federal government.

“If they try to use our data to decide who gets to participate in this democracy, they’re going to have to come through an SOS who will stand tall against them,” he said.

Benson called James “Trump’s yes guy” and suggested Republicans’ vision for Michigan puts “corporate profits over the people of Michigan and does whatever it is that President Trump wants them to do, no matter what that means to the people of Michigan.”

Takeaway #4: Other priorities

Other frequent themes brought up by Democratic candidates: taking on corporate interests, making costs of living more affordable and improving healthcare options.

Addressing the audience after her official nomination, Brinks said another big goal for Democrats is building off of the party’s brief trifecta in 2023 and 2024, during which Democrats voted for reproductive and LGBTQ rights, pro-labor initiatives and clean energy policy.

“I pledge to work every day to lower costs, to raise wages, and make Michigan a place where everyone can live and thrive,” Brinks said. “And I can’t wait to do it with another Democrat trifecta.”