Abdul El-Sayed defies $60 Million campaign against him, wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis Despite massive spending by outside groups and high-profile endorsements for his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed secured a decisive Democratic Senate primary victory and now heads into a closely watched November showdown. Abdul El-Sayed has scored one of the most closely watched political upsets of the 2026 election cycle, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary despite facing more than $60 million in outside spending , much of it from pro-Israel political groups. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and sets up a high-stakes general election contest against Republican Mike Rogers in November. El-Sayed's campaign prevailed even after Stevens received late endorsements from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and influential national Democrats, including Representative James Clyburn . Those endorsements failed to reverse momentum behind El-S...
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Kurdish Islamist party says agrees with KDP on Snap elections


 

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj

Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan — 22 May 2026

Abdulsattar Majid, a member of Komal's Supreme Council and former Kurdistan Region agriculture minister, told  local news that Komal “also agrees on this matter" of holding early Kurdistan parliament elections.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – A senior member of the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal) said on Wednesday that they are in line with the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) idea to hold snap elections in the Kurdistan Region amid a crippling political deadlock that has halted government formation 19 months after elections.  

 

The KDP - the Kurdistan Region’s top party - has suggested snap elections as the optimal solution to resolve the stalemate in forming the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 

 

Abdulsattar Majid, a member of Komal's Supreme Council and former Kurdistan Region agriculture minister, told The New Region that Komal “also agrees on this matter.”

 

Majid, also a current lawmaker in the Kurdistan parliament, noted that the party’s president and founder, Ali Bapir, was in favor of that option and had advocated for it on previous occasions, reiterating, “We told them [the KDP] this has also been our request.”

 

On Wednesday, delegations from the KDP and Komal met in Pirmam, discussing the latest political developments in the Region and ways to enhance bilateral ties.

 

Days prior, the KDP said it welcomes any effort from the Kurdistan Region’s political forces towards the reactivation of the parliament.

 

Saadi Ahmed Pira, a senior PUK member, told The New Region on Thursday that the party is “open to dialogue and agreements” with the goal of reactivating the regional parliament.

 

“Rather than contemplating negative scenarios, we should be thinking about reactivating parliament and respecting the election results,” Pira said, stressing that they are open to a meeting with the KDP.

 

The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) – specifically its leader Salahaddin Bahaaddin – has led a renewed drive in recent days to arrange a meeting between the KDP and PUK. He has met with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani – a deputy KDP president – and PUK leader Bafel Talabani in an effort to mediate tensions.

 

The Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections in October 2024, with the KDP emerging victorious with 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23. 

 

The two main parties have yet to reach an agreement on forming the next cabinet. A key sticking point has been top positions and sovereign ministries in the Kurdistan Region, particularly the interior ministry - a post the PUK is vying for.

#Kurdistan #KRG #KDP #PUK #Komal #KurdistanParliament

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