El-Sayed and Rogers Battle for Michigan Senate Seat

Voters in Michigan cast ballots Tuesday in a tight Senate contest that has fractured the state’s Jewish community and raised questions about the Democratic Party’s internal unity. The race pits Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee, against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman. The outcome will determine which party controls the Senate, but the campaign has been defined as much by partisan realignment as by traditional policy debates.

El-Sayed, a former county health director, ran on an anti-corporate platform that included support for Medicare For All. His candidacy drew heavy spending from pro-Israel groups, most notably the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC intervened in the general election to support Rogers, a move that is rare for the organization. The group targeted El-Sayed’s uncompromising stance on US military aid to Israel, which he has sought to end entirely.

The campaign took a sharp turn on Election Day when President Donald Trump announced that nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel would cease by the end of the year. Trump stated on Fox News that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with the decision and cited El-Sayed in his explanation. He asked why the US should support candidates like El-Sayed when the aid is being cut. Representatives for both campaigns and the Republican Jewish Coalition did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The timing of the announcement is complicated by a memorandum of understanding that governs the funding through 2028.

El-Sayed gained momentum with young voters and other progressive constituencies, pulling ahead in polling during the final stretch. However, his positions alienated many Jewish Michiganders. He questioned whether Israel exists as a Jewish state and refused to say whether Israel or Iran posed a greater threat to the United States. His association with streamer Hasan Piker and his comments after a March attack on Temple Israel synagogue also raised concerns. At the state party’s spring convention, some of El-Sayed’s supporters exhibited hostile behavior toward pro-Israel Democrats, adding to the tension.

Several local Jewish leaders broke with the Democratic ticket to support Rogers. Yard signs in Jewish neighborhoods declared that a vote for Rogers was a vote against antisemitism. Rogers told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in October that his opponent is anti-Jew and ran ads highlighting El-Sayed’s family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. National Republicans amplified the message, with Senator Ted Cruz calling El-Sayed a national security threat. Trump called Jews crazy if they backed the Democrat, and the administration held an antisemitism event at a Michigan synagogue weeks before the election.

Rep. Haley Stevens, a pro-Israel congresswoman who lost to El-Sayed in the primary, endorsed Rogers days after her Jewish fiancé did the same. The move drew criticism from Jewish Democratic leaders and other prominent Democrats. It followed public disputes in which Stevens pressed El-Sayed to condemn a political action committee ad that linked rising grocery prices to US aid to Israel. The Michigan Jewish Democratic Caucus, which was deeply divided, issued a statement on Monday declaring that it would never vote for a Republican. The group said its commitment to the Democratic ticket remains resolute as it works to build a more inclusive coalition.

El-Sayed attempted to reassure Jewish voters throughout the campaign. He apologized for his comments about Temple Israel, distanced himself from Piker, and hired a Jewish outreach director. In a recent interview with 60 Minutes, he stated that Israel has a right to exist. His campaign sent mailers to Jewish households stating that he is committed to protecting all Michigan Jews against hatred and injustice. More than 1,000 Michigan Jews signed an open letter supporting El-Sayed, compared with 560 who signed for Rogers. Progressive Jewish figures held salons across the state to persuade undecided voters.

Despite these efforts, El-Sayed maintained positions that many Jews found alienating. In the closing weeks, he asserted that Israel is not actually a friend and declined to name the greater threat between Israel and Iran during a debate. His campaign released an ad aimed at conservatives featuring a clip of Tucker Carlson. A group of rabbis and leaders launched Nonnegotiable Michigan to press El-Sayed to affirm five core principles, including Jewish sovereignty in Israel. After silence from the campaign, some figureheads urged followers to write in 19th-century poet Emma Lazarus rather than vote for either candidate. Michigan’s Jewish population of approximately 105,000 adults splintered over the candidacy, a factor that could prove decisive in a state where the 2024 Senate race was decided by fewer than 20,000 votes.