Abdul El-Sayed Faces Internal Split Days Before Michigan Senate Vote

Abdul El-Sayed faces a fractured Democratic support structure in Michigan with less than one week until Election Day.

The candidate’s path has been marked by internal conflict since a contentious primary in the summer. Critics within the party argue that El-Sayed has prioritized recruiting new voters, such as college students and rural residents, over consolidating the traditional coalition. This strategy has left some party leaders and donors feeling sidelined.

Tensions surfaced publicly on Wednesday when Jason Turkish, the fiancé of former primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens, told The Detroit News he would vote for Republican Mike Rogers. Stevens appeared on CNN later that day to confirm she would still support El-Sayed. She urged his campaign to “shut out the hate and call it out.” Stevens, who drew strong support from Jewish and Black voters during the primary, said, “Make people who are in my coalition, right, make them feel comfortable about coming to the polls.”

The discord has been fueled by El-Sayed’s past remarks on Israel and his association with streamer Hasan Piker. These factors have raised concerns within Michigan’s large Jewish community. The latest flashpoint involved an ad by Rebellion PAC, an independent left-wing group, that linked U.S. support for Israel to high grocery prices. El-Sayed stated that the ad had “nothing to do with our campaign” and was not what he wanted to discuss. Stevens and other Democrats wanted a stronger denunciation of the ad’s content.

Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the Rebellion PAC ad and El-Sayed’s campaign strategy. He told reporters, “We are one week away from the election, and it feels like the temperature has turned way up.” Starr added that instead of improving over the last seven weeks, the situation has actually gotten worse.

Republican nominee Mike Rogers remains closely aligned with President Donald Trump. Rogers appeared with the president at a Michigan rally on Sunday, where Trump credited Rogers with helping bring manufacturing jobs back to the state. Rogers faces challenges from voter dissatisfaction with the Iran war and high costs of living.

El-Sayed has targeted that dissatisfaction by holding events in heavily Republican areas, including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. His campaign released an ad featuring clips of conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, praising El-Sayed. Carlson has denied accusations of antisemitism, but the ad has created new friction with some Jewish voters. The general election is scheduled for November 3.