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Michigan voters conclude their primary election tomorrow, and voters on the Democratic side have a chance to say a lot about what kind of candidate they want in a swing state. NPR's senior political correspondent Tamara Keith reports.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Michigan's 7th Congressional District is a true toss-up, making the Republican-held seat a top target for Democrats trying to retake the House. This week's Democratic primary includes a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, a retired Navy SEAL and William Lawrence, co-founder of a climate activist group.
WILLIAM LAWRENCE: What I hear is people are fed up. They're ready for change. And they don't feel that either party has been representing their interests in D.C.
KEITH: This year, far-left challengers have notched upset wins against Democratic incumbents in deep blue districts from New York to Colorado. Lawrence is making the case that this form of progressive politics can also work in races that will decide control of Congress.
LAWRENCE: I believe that the status quo is an electability risk at a time when people are hungry for change.
LIS SMITH: It's going to be a very interesting experiment.
KEITH: Lis Smith is a Democratic strategist who has worked on races in Michigan. She says voter anger this election year is visceral.
SMITH: Democratic voters are really rejecting people who reek of playing it safe.
KEITH: And, Smith says, they appear willing to take a risk on candidates whose public statements and policy positions would traditionally be thought of as liabilities in a general election.
SMITH: It seems like that is a trade-off that Democratic primary voters in places like Michigan are willing to accept.
KEITH: Is that surprising to you?
SMITH: No, because when people are angry, you know, sometimes they go with their heart over their head. And the reality is that none of us know how it's going to play out in November.
KEITH: In Michigan's Senate primary, four-term Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens is trailing progressive former public health official Abdul El-Sayed. He's running with an antiestablishment message that has worked for other candidates on the left in their primaries. But it all makes Neera Tanden at the Center for American Progress nervous about November.
NEERA TANDEN: The real question in swing states is, can they beat Republicans? Which, you know, heretofore has been untested.
ADAM GREEN: This is a chips-on-the-table moment.
KEITH: Adam Green is co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. He says this race could influence who Democrats will feel comfortable nominating for president in 2028.
GREEN: If Abdul wins the primary, it sends shock waves across the Democratic Party and makes clear that you can buck the corporate interests and still defeat them. And then if he wins the general election, it sends a signal to scared, well-meaning electability voters that someone who actually inspires them can win a swing state.
KEITH: In Wisconsin, the Democratic gubernatorial primary features a similar dynamic. Francesca Hong, who previously aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, has what appears to be a commanding lead.
I caught up with the state's former Republican governor Scott Walker while he was on the road. He says many Republicans assume Hong winning the primary would be good for their nominee.
SCOTT WALKER: I've been forewarning that just because she's said some wild, wild, wild things, in the end, I always raise a red flag of concern as a conservative that you got to watch out for people with passion.
KEITH: Because, he says, candidates who speak with passion and authenticity can attract swing voters. Walker isn't saying these far-left candidates will win in Wisconsin and Michigan, but, he argues, it would be a mistake to assume they can't.
Tamara Keith, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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