On Fox & Friends, Charlie Hurt praised select Democratic primary outcomes as signs that some voters rejected "extreme" candidates, but his examples require context. Several contests Hurt cited were affected by Republican-drawn redistricting or outside spending from GOP-funded super PACs. Meanwhile, progressive candidates — including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan — scored major victories and drew praise from party leaders, illustrating a more complicated, mixed picture for the Democratic Party.
Fox’s Charlie Hurt Praises ‘Sane Democrats’ — But His Primary Examples Are Cherry-Picked
Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed besides Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow in Detroit, Michigan, after his nail-biting win over moderate Rep. Hayley Stevens was called early Wednesday. Finn Gomez via Getty Images
Fox News commentator Charlie Hurt drew attention on Wednesday when he praised certain Democratic primary voters as “sane” during a post-primary segment on Fox & Friends — though his argument relied on selective examples and omitted important context.
Hurt told viewers that while much of the coverage has focused on the party’s most left-leaning figures — “because if the socialists take over the Democrat Party, the party is doomed,” he said — there were nonetheless contests in which Democratic voters rejected candidates he described as extreme.
Examples And Important Caveats
To illustrate his point, Hurt cited a Missouri contest in which Democratic voters chose a different Democratic nominee over Rep. Cori Bush. He also pointed to a Texas race in which, he said, Rep. Al Green lost to a less-radical Democratic colleague; that contest was shaped by Republican-drawn redistricting that put two incumbents into the same seat.
Hurt further mentioned therapist Maureen Galindo’s May runoff loss in a deep-red Texas district as evidence voters rejected extremism. But reporting showed that Galindo’s initial primary showing was reportedly helped by a Republican-funded super PAC that sought to boost a left-leaning candidate who would be easier for Republicans to beat in a general election — a dynamic that undercuts Hurt’s claim that the loss reflected only Democratic voters rejecting extremism.
Progressive Successes Complicate The Picture
At the same time, progressives scored notable primary victories. In Michigan, public health official Abdul El-Sayed defeated party-backed moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in a close, heavily watched Senate primary that drew record spending and attention. Images from Detroit showed El-Sayed alongside State Sen. Mallory McMorrow after the result was called.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) issued a joint statement praising El-Sayed for running an “energetic campaign that inspired thousands of Michiganders across the state, with a clear focus on lowering costs and standing up for working families.”
El-Sayed will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the November general election.
Hurt’s segment sought to minimize the significance of recent progressive gains by highlighting a handful of defeats or contests shaped by unique dynamics such as redistricting and outside spending. Taken together, the primary results show a more nuanced picture: while some Democratic voters rejected certain candidates, grassroots and progressive organizing also produced high-profile wins that prompted establishment Democrats to rally behind new nominees.
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