Cruz said El-Sayed’s win would weaken the case that Ocasio-Cortez is too progressive to win nationally, while prediction markets keep her among top contenders.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Republican Senator Ted Cruz campaigned in Michigan, predicting that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's Senate victory would boost U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's chances in the 2028 presidential election.
Campaigning for Republican Mike Rogers, Cruz alleged El-Sayed has connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming victory would shift the Democratic caucus left; El-Sayed has repeatedly denied these allegations, calling them rooted in Islamophobia.
A WDIV-TV/Detroit News poll released Tuesday found El-Sayed leading Rogers 51.4 percent to 45.1 percent, while Cruz told the crowd in Imlay City that an El-Sayed win would signal a shift toward "full on commie" politics.
El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak denounced Cruz as a "deeply unpopular politician" and characterized the remarks as a distraction from failed Trump administration policies on gas and grocery prices.
Although Ocasio-Cortez has not announced a 2028 campaign, her presidential prospects remain a topic of speculation as prediction markets place her among leading contenders and various Democratic Socialists of America chapters have passed resolutions encouraging her to run.