Advisor to Clyburn says El-Sayed can’t disinvite Stevens from unity event
Having a party elder publicly tell a candidate "this is not your event" is a rare and telling moment. Antjuan Seawright's comment to the Times makes clear that the Sunday gathering in Detroit belongs to the party, not to Abdul El-Sayed, and that Haley Stevens remains invited.
There's a practical reason for that. A unity event that excludes the runner-up defeats its purpose, and in a closely watched state like Michigan, Democrats can't afford to look divided. El-Sayed may have his reasons for wanting Stevens out of the room, but the party's priority is the general election. The second-place finisher still represents a large bloc of voters he'll need in November.
I'd like to know what led to this dispute, but the public rebuke suggests leadership is willing to overrule a candidate to keep the coalition together.