Abdul El-Sayed
Democratic nominee for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, running an unabashedly left platform against Trump-endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in a Cook toss-up race. Holds progressive stances through a tightening general election while managing fallout from his onetime association with streamer Hasan Piker and repeated flare-ups over Israel and antisemitism.
Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, running an unabashedly progressive campaign against Trump-endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in a race Cook Political Report rates a toss-up and central to Senate control. He agreed to debate Rogers on October 8 after challenging him to five. Polling is mixed: one Fox News survey puts Rogers ahead 51-47, another gives El-Sayed a multi-point lead.
Rogers has shifted from a conciliatory posture to sharp attacks, calling El-Sayed "the most anti-American candidate in the race" and falsely claiming El-Sayed said the U.S. deserved 9/11, a remark fact-checks trace to Hasan Piker seven years ago. El-Sayed's campaign counters by tying Rogers to Trump's Canada tariff standoff, which focus groups show swing voters blame for rising costs of gasoline, groceries, and consumer goods.
El-Sayed has refused to pivot to the center. His platform includes Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, abolishing ICE, gender-affirming care for minors, and a wealth tax above $100 million. He won his primary after backing single-payer healthcare, the litmus test Bernie Sanders set for his endorsement, and his base now includes Arab American and progressive voters who drifted from Democrats in 2024.
The Piker controversy remains a live wound. After the streamer suggested American Jews could face backlash for being "singularly invested in Israel," El-Sayed called antisemitism a "scourge" but initially declined to name Piker's specific words, prompting Rep. Hillary Scholten and Jeremy Moss to decline endorsing him. He apologized to the party's Jewish delegation at the Michigan Democrats' convention, where he did not share the stage with gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and AG Dana Nessel boycotted the event citing safety concerns over her Jewish identity. His campaign has flagged a media double standard, noting heavy coverage of his Piker appearances versus near-silence on Rogers aide Lorenzo Sewell, who called El-Sayed an "Islamic jihadist."
El-Sayed is also pressing for statewide guardrails on Flock Safety license-plate readers, warning of a "massive surveillance apparatus being built behind closed doors." He went on Jesse Watters Primetime to court Republican and moderate voters, defended his full platform, and called Rogers a "beta" male. He has separately identified defeating Senator John Fetterman in a 2028 Democratic primary as a top priority.
On their plate
El-Sayed agreed to an October 8 debate with Trump-endorsed Republican Mike Rogers to succeed retiring Senator Gary Peters; Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up key to Senate control. Rogers has shifted to direct attacks, calling El-Sayed "the most anti-American candidate in the race" and falsely claiming El-Sayed said the U.S. deserved 9/11, a remark fact-checks trace to Hasan Piker seven years ago. Polling is mixed: one Fox News survey shows Rogers ahead 51-47 among registered voters, while El-Sayed holds a multi-point lead in another. El-Sayed's campaign counters by tying Rogers to Trump's cost-raising tariff agenda.
El-Sayed distanced his campaign from streamer Hasan Piker after Piker suggested American Jews could face backlash for being "singularly invested in Israel" and displayed a photo of House candidate Jeremy Moss. El-Sayed called antisemitism a "scourge" but initially declined to name Piker's specific words, prompting Rep. Hillary Scholten and Jeremy Moss to decline endorsing him. He apologized to the party's Jewish delegation at the Michigan Democrats' convention over comments following the spring Temple Israel attack and said he has no plans to campaign with Piker further. Bret Stephens separately criticized his Jewish-voter outreach as insincere.
El-Sayed won his primary by endorsing Medicare for All, the litmus test Bernie Sanders set for his endorsement, and has declined to pivot toward the center for the general election. His base includes Arab American and progressive voters who drifted from Democrats in 2024, mobilized through the Uncommitted Movement's connection of Gaza-war frustration to kitchen-table issues. He is now working to unify a progressive coalition around swing-voter dissatisfaction with Trump's Canada tariff standoff, which focus groups blame for rising costs of gasoline, groceries, and consumer goods.
El-Sayed is pressing for statewide guardrails on Flock Safety license-plate reader surveillance, warning of a "massive surveillance apparatus being built behind closed doors and behind our backs." He aligns with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson on transparency, while Mike Rogers's campaign also opposes unchecked use of the technology.
At the Michigan Democrats' nominating convention in Lansing, El-Sayed received the official party nomination but did not share the stage or reference gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, signaling progressive-moderate friction. Attorney General Dana Nessel boycotted the event citing safety concerns over her Jewish identity. Rep. Jamie Raskin has directly endorsed El-Sayed's bid, drawing Republican criticism. His campaign also flagged a media double standard: heavy coverage of his Piker appearances versus near-silence on Rogers aide Lorenzo Sewell, who called El-Sayed an "Islamic jihadist."
Key relationships
Republican Senate opponent who has escalated attacks on El-Sayed, calling him "the most anti-American candidate" and falsely attributing 9/11 comments to him; the two agreed to an October 8 debate.
Streamed with El-Sayed to court younger voters, then sparked a backlash with remarks about American Jews; El-Sayed dismissed him as "a social media person in California" and said he has no plans to campaign with him further.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee whose stage El-Sayed did not share at the nominating convention, signaling progressive-moderate friction; they align on Flock Safety surveillance transparency.
Michigan's Attorney General boycotted the Democratic nominating convention where El-Sayed accepted his nomination, citing safety concerns over her Jewish identity.
El-Sayed has publicly identified defeating Fetterman in a 2028 Democratic primary as a top priority, framing it as a message to party dissenters who broke with progressives on Israel.
Sanders set Medicare for All as the endorsement litmus test, which El-Sayed met to win his backing in the primary.
Rep. Raskin directly endorsed El-Sayed's Senate bid, drawing Republican criticism but signaling congressional progressive support.
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