Michigan Democrats push party left. Will voters follow?

Michigan Democrats face inflection point after progressive activists dominated a nominating convention
The resulting nominations left some in the party – particularly Jewish Democrats – wondering if there’s space left for them
While some Democrats fear a shift left could hurt party in the fall, pollster says President Donald Trump’s unpopularity a big factor

LANSING — Michigan Democrats appear to be at a crossroads after liberal anti-war activists dominated a weekend convention to nominate candidates who some fear may be too far left to win the purple state this fall.

But progressives heralded the nomination of candidates like Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit for attorney general as a necessary turning point for a party that attempted moderation in 2024 but lost the White House to President Donald Trump.

“If certain people see new people coming in as a threat, I think they need to evaluate how they’re looking at the situation,” said Connor Berdy, a member of the party’s progressive caucus and founder of Vote for Change, a progressive consultancy cooperative.

More than 7,200 delegates gathered in Detroit on Sunday for the Michigan Democratic Party’s spring endorsement convention, which officials heralded as a record turnout.

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There, attendees backed Savit for attorney general and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist for secretary of state. Activists also booed US Rep. Haley Stevens, an establishment favorite for US Senate, and ousted University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker over the school’s controversial crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters during the Israel-Hamas war.

Acker was defeated by Amir Makled, an attorney who defended some of the U-M students charged in the protests. Backed by progressive groups, Makled is a vocal critic of Israel and has been accused of antisemitism.

Amir Makled speaks into a microphone. — Michigan Democratic Party delegates backed attorney Amir Makled for the University of Michigan Board of Regents over incumbent Regent Jordan Acker in what became the most contentious race of the convention. (Jordyn Hermani/Bridge Michigan)

Some called the convention a sign of grassroots enthusiasm in a party fighting to return to relevance. Others called it a chaotic and divisive gathering that could alienate some voters, particularly Jewish Democrats.

“I know there are a lot of Jews who are right now wondering where they fit in, politically,” state Rep. Noah Arbit, D-West Bloomfield, said late Sunday in a social media post. “I’m an elected Jewish Democrat, founder of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, and even I am wondering that too.”

Arbit declined a request for comment on Monday, telling Bridge Michigan he needed time to gather his thoughts following the convention.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. told Bridge he’s reached out to Arbit, adding that the party stands against antisemitism, Islamophobia and “all forms of hate.” There is “a place in the Democratic Party for everybody,” he added.

Progressives also pushed back against accusations of antisemitism. Like Hertel, they pointed out that Savit — who they helped nominate for the state’s top law enforcement role — is Jewish.

“Trying to paint it as Jewish voters versus Arab or Muslim voters, progressive versus establishment — it makes for a punchy headline … but that’s completely not the case,” said Elena Greer, a former MDP Youth Vice Chair who works with Berdy at Vote for Change.

Turnout ‘bodes well’

Michigan progressives like US Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, who has faced criticism for campaigning with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, have argued that the Democratic Party paved the way for Trump’s return by playing it too safe in 2024.

At the convention, the loudest cheers were for El-Sayed, who is locked in a tight race against Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who has positioned herself politically somewhere between her rivals in the Democratic primary.

Michigan is a purple state, where independent and moderate voters have often decided close elections. And several high-profile Republicans celebrated the Democratic nominations, suggesting progressive candidates like Savit could drag down the top of the ticket and benefit the GOP.

But the diversity and turnout at the Democratic Party convention “probably bodes well” for turnout this fall, said Bernie Porn, president of the Lansing polling firm EPIC-MRA.

Regardless of any shift to the left, Democrats are “well-positioned” to win in Michigan, “largely because of how unpopular” Trump is at the moment, Porn said.

He pointed to high gas and grocery prices, the ongoing war in the Middle East and other factors that could favor Democrats, noting he was not surprised there was a “strong progressive group attending the convention.”

But how that group now messages to voters could be the difference between winning and losing in November, said Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist at the Grassroots Midwest consulting firm in Lansing.

“There’s going to be a lot of attempts by Republicans to tie Democrats writ large to some of the wackier stuff that Eli Savit has done,” he said.

GOP sets sights on AG race

As prosecutor in one of Michigan’s most liberal counties, Savit has pushed progressive reforms to end cash bail, decriminalize consensual sex work and not prosecute the use, growth or sale of “magic mushrooms.”

He’s headed toward a general election matchup against Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, who won the GOP endorsement last month and has won past elections in a relatively moderate region.

“This race is about restoring balance and common sense,” Lloyd said in a statement Sunday night. “The Attorney General’s office should not be used to advance political agendas or selective enforcement. It should serve the people equally, without bias.”

Savit was considered an underdog in the convention race against Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who was seen as the more moderate candidate and had been endorsed by the state’s largest unions.

Savit prevailed, but it’s not known how close the race was because the Michigan Democratic Party is not releasing the official tally.

Speaking to reporters after the convention, Savit acknowledged that progressive voters “came out in droves” to support his campaign but touted support “from every sector of the party.”

“I really think ours is the campaign that could bring the Democratic Party together, and that’s our victory here tonight,” Savit said, adding that Democrats had to do more than just disavow Trump, but truly speak to voters’ concerns on affordability, housing, job security and more.

But Michigan Republican Party Chairman Jim Runestad signaled likely attacks against Savit this fall, accusing him of being “soft on crime” and supporting policies that put “criminals before victims.”

Party divisions, recruits

University board races are typically an afterthought for many voters, but the convention race between Makled and Acker became a proxy fight over the Democratic Party’s relationship with Israel and the line between criticism of the government and antisemitism.

Makled had come under fire in recent weeks for now-deleted social media posts which praised Hezbollah leaders and referred to Israel as “demonic,” according to reporting from The Detroit News.

His win makes it “easier for people who don’t have as much of a dog in this fight to just characterize” the Democratic Party as antisemitic, said Hemond, the Lansing-based strategist.

“Is that a fair characterization? No. But you can’t expect more than that from people who … don’t pay attention to politics every day of the week.”

For his part, Acker was recently accused of sending lewd messages about a U-M student and a Democratic Party activist, as reported by The Guardian. He’d also earned the ire of pro-Palestinian students for his role in cracking down on on-campus protests.

The People’s Coalition, a grassroots group that backed Gilchrist, Savit and Makled, helped recruit new members to the Michigan Democratic Party so they could vote at the convention.

Co-founder Rima Mohammad estimated that included 1,000 college students from U-M, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Wayne State universities and even private institutions such as Delta College and Calvin University.

Not all of the first-time conventiongoers were progressive, she told Bridge, noting some even held centrist or moderate views.

“We had people who reached out to us and said, ‘You brought me back to the party and I feel very hopeful of the direction of the party’,” said Mohammad, a clinical professor in U-M’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy. “They felt like they saw themselves in the party again and they were part of the process and they had a voice.”

Mohammad told Bridge she was frustrated to see identity politics in the race between Makled, a Lebanese Muslim, and Acker, who is Jewish.

Freedom of speech on campus was a key issue in the race between Makled and Acker following the university’s handling of student opposition to the Israel-Gaza conflict, she said.

But Mohammad noted that other issues played a role in the race, too, pointing to U-M’s decision to shutter its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative and ending gender-affirming care for minors amid threats by the Trump administration.

“The reason why Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters became front and center is because it was a distraction from the real issues that Amir Makled and Jordan Acker were bringing to the table,” Mohammad said. “The message was very clear: There needs to be change.”

— Bridge reporter Kim Kozlowski contributed