El-Sayed Faces Final Hurdle in Michigan Senate Race

Abdul El-Sayed is facing a divided party as he prepares for the final week of the Michigan Senate race. The Democrat has spent months managing tensions that emerged after a contentious primary. He is now betting that voter anger toward President Donald Trump will outweigh those internal disagreements.

The split within the Democratic base became visible again on Wednesday. Jason Turkish, the fiancé of Rep. Haley Stevens, told The Detroit News that he would vote for Republican Mike Rogers. Stevens had lost the primary to El-Sayed earlier this year. Her comments added to the noise surrounding the general election.

Stevens appeared on CNN later that day. She confirmed she would vote for El-Sayed. She asked his team to address the friction directly. "Make people who are in my coalition, right, make them feel comfortable about coming to the polls," she said. Stevens drew strong support from Jewish and Black voters during the primary. She urged El-Sayed to shut out the hate and call it out.

Concerns have persisted over El-Sayed’s past remarks and associations. His criticism of Israel and his relationship with streamer Hasan Piker have worried some in Michigan’s large Jewish community. Turkish and others said El-Sayed has not done enough to address those concerns. The latest flashpoint involved an advertisement by Rebellion PAC. The independent left-wing group linked U.S. support for Israel to high grocery prices. El-Sayed said the ad had nothing to do with his campaign. He said it was not what he wanted to discuss.

Stevens and other Democrats wanted a stronger denunciation of the ad. They felt merely distancing himself was not enough. Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the Rebellion PAC ad and an El-Sayed campaign ad. The campaign ad featured clips of conservative figures praising El-Sayed. "We are one week away from the election, and it feels like the temperature has turned way up," Starr said.

Republican Mike Rogers is facing his own challenges. He has stayed closely aligned with Trump. The two appeared together at a rally in Port Huron on Sunday. Rogers credited Trump with bringing manufacturing jobs back to the state. Port Huron sits just across the river from Canada. Trump has targeted the country with tariffs. Rogers has cited voter dissatisfaction with Trump, the Iran war, and high costs as headwinds for his side.

El-Sayed has targeted voters in heavily Republican areas. He held events in the Upper Peninsula. His team released an ad featuring former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Carlson has denied accusations of antisemitism. The ad created friction with some Jewish voters. El-Sayed plans to campaign in the Detroit area on Sunday. He will be joined by Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. The goal is to shore up support among Black voters.

Rogers is also making a push for Black voters. He visited a reading remediation program at a Detroit high school. He discussed housing costs with residents in Pontiac. Earlier this month, his wife handed out $10 gift cards at a gas station in Detroit. Ruby Farmer, a 68-year-old retiree, criticized the gesture. "You’re giving out gas cards in the inner city, you never would come for any other reason," Farmer said. She voted for El-Sayed three weeks ago. She cited cuts to Medicaid, which affects her special-needs son.

The election is scheduled for Tuesday. Both campaigns are making their final rounds. El-Sayed has held events in Detroit to increase turnout. Rogers has visited Pontiac and Birmingham. The race remains tight as both sides seek to mobilize their base.