El-Sayed projected to win high-stakes Michigan Senate Democratic primary

The general election race could decide which party controls the Senate.

Progressive Dr. Abdul El-Sayed will win the Michigan Senate Democratic primary, defeating moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, the Associated Press projected on Wednesday.

Stevens called El-Sayed to concede the race, according to a campaign spokesperson.

The two were locked in a high-stakes battle to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November's general election in an open seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The general election race could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.

El-Sayed, in a triumphant press conference on Wednesday, said his victory in the wake of heavy spending and an acrimonious primary was a sign of the strength of his movement.

"We took on a machine. You're not supposed to be able to beat $70 million dollars of outside spending, a record amount of money spent in a campaign against a Democrat in a primary in any campaign, you're not supposed to be able to beat that," he said.

"And what we showed is that the power of our many is greater than the power of their money," he added.

Stevens offered her support for El-Sayed and called on the Democratic Party to unite in a statement on Wednesday.

"This was a thorough and rigorous campaign that brought out the full span of views within the Democratic Party -- and that is why we have primaries," Stevens said. "I am proud to have put up my hand to serve, and prouder to continue to work together to make sure this Senate seat remains blue, that we flip the United States Senate and continue the work for Michigan."

"Donald Trump and Mike Rogers want us to come out of this primary tired and divided, so their billionaire backers can come in and let multimillionaire Mike Rogers walk away with this Senate seat. ... I'm not going to let that happen," she added.

President Donald Trump also weighed in on the result, saying El-Sayed's victory in the Democratic primary is "great news for the Republican Party" and called him a "Communist loser."

In the governor's race, ABC News projects Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican Rep. John James will win their respective primaries and will face off in November.

James would be the state's first elected Black Republican governor in history.

In Michigan's 7th Congressional District, ABC News projects progressive activist and Democratic Socialists of America member William Lawrence will defeat two more moderate candidates to be the Democratic nominee to take on first-term Republican incumbent Rep. Tom Barrett. The Coo