Michael Bouchard Jr., fresh off his own GOP primary win in Michigan's 10th District, said Abdul El-Sayed's Senate victory by less than 1 percentage point does not show the state is embracing socialism.
Bouchard tied El-Sayed's progressive platform to division and public-safety concerns, citing the Democrat's campaign appearance with streamer Hasan Piker and accusing El-Sayed of backing police-defunding ideas.
The Republican nominee said crime and the economy will anchor his November campaign, casting Democrat Christina Hines as soft on crime and arguing voters want moderation and concrete results.
Hines pushed back by highlighting her record as a county prosecutor, saying she has worked with law enforcement to imprison rapists, murderers and traffickers while Bouchard lacks that experience.
The race unfolds as Michigan Democrats absorb El-Sayed's narrow Senate primary win and Republicans try to frame progressive gains in the Midwest as out of step with general-election voters.