Abdul el-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Jewish democrats weigh backing GOP rival

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The fall election campaign for Michigan's US Senate seat has officially begun with a significant twist in the Democratic primary results. Abdul El-Sayed secured his nomination by defeating center-left candidate Haley Stevens, but he did so on a narrow margin despite predictions of a broader victory over far-left rivals like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. This outcome highlights that while progressive voices are gaining traction within certain pockets of the electorate, they have not yet achieved an overwhelming dominance across the entire Democratic Party in Michigan or nationally. El-Sayed's path to the general election now involves facing Republican Mike Rogers in a race that is being closely monitored both domestically and internationally due to its implications for US-Israel relations. The central issue dividing voters revolves around El-Sayed's staunch anti-Israel stance, which included attacks on pro-Israel groups like AIPAC during his primary campaign. While he has expressed deep personal commitment to the safety of Jewish communities in Michigan—comparing it directly to protecting his own daughters—the controversy remains a major point of friction for many Jewish Democrats and Republicans alike. Opinions within the state's 130,000-strong Jewish population are sharply divided; some have already declared they will switch their votes to support Mike Rogers because of El-Sayed's positions on Israel, while others remain loyal despite his views or disagree with him entirely. This dynamic creates a volatile swing vote scenario where even small shifts in voter sentiment regarding the Israeli conflict could determine the outcome of a potentially close general election. As the campaign moves into November, observers are watching to see if El-Sayed will soften his positions on military aid and Israel policy to win back undecided voters without sacrificing the authenticity that brought him this far. Experts note that while criticism of Israeli government policies is becoming more common in political discourse among younger Democrats, it does not necessarily equate to a full-scale rejection of US support for Israel or an endorsement of anti-Semitic rhetoric. The broader implication extends beyond Michigan, as similar trends are emerging on the right side of the aisle with candidates like Wesley Bell and Cori Bush facing off against each other in Missouri, suggesting that polarization is affecting both ends of the political spectrum rather than just one party moving entirely to the far left or right. Ultimately, this election serves as a critical test for how American Jewish institutions and moderate Democrats navigate their values amidst rising internal divisions within their own parties. Local community leaders are currently hesitant to invite El-Sayed onto stages to debate his views, fearing that doing so might validate his platform rather than challenge it effectively. However, the possibility remains open if he chooses to engage in dialogue with these communities, as there is a tangible risk of losing tens of thousands of votes among single-issue voters who prioritize Israel's security above all else. The coming months will reveal whether El-Sayed can balance his ideological convictions with electoral pragmatism or if this race will become a defining moment for the future direction of US foreign policy toward Israel under Democratic leadership.

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The fall election campaign is already getting started in Michigan. The anti-Israel Abdul El-Sayed won his campaign to be the Democratic candidate for the state's US Senate seat. He'll now face Republican Mike Rogers in November in a race that's being closely watched far beyond the United States. But as our senior correspondent Owen Altman explains, for Michigan's 130,000 Jews, it's personal. >> He closed out a primary campaign where issues about Israel and Jews were at the center. And he's heading into a general election where those issues will stay there. Abdul El-Sayed, the fresh Democratic nominee for US Senate for Michigan, with a message for Jewish voters come fall. >> And to all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith or any faith at all or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters. >> The comments come after El-Sayed's narrow but still stunning victory Tuesday night, in which the far-left candidate beat the center-left Haley Stevens for the Democratic nomination for Michigan's open US Senate seat. During the primary campaign, El-Sayed took staunch anti-Israel positions and attacked the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. With a general election campaign kicking off against Republican Mike Rogers, US President Donald Trump senses an opportunity. >> A hater of Jews and a hater of Israel. This This guy hates Jews. Somebody said, "Oh, that's a little strong." No, he hates Jews and he hates Israel. Abdul El-Sayed, can you believe this? >> Opinions among Michigan's Jews are as always divided. Some are Republicans whose votes would be lost to any Democratic candidate. For some Jewish voters, the issue of Israel is less important. Or they agree with El-Sayed. But Republicans are right that many Jewish Democrats in Michigan say on social media that they will switch their votes because Elsayed is the candidate. Elsayed is hinting he wants to win those votes back. The question is how far he's willing to go in order to do so. >> We're joined now by vice chair of Americans and Democrats in Israel, Heather Stone, joining us in Tel Aviv. Heather, great to have you with us on I24 News. Elsayed's victory, it might be specific to Michigan, but Heather, what are the broader implications? Does it show that the Democratic Party is moving more broadly against Israel? >> Well, I think that Elsayed, his victory was very narrow over Haley Haley Stevens. It shows that the electorate in Michigan was very divided. The pollsters and the pundits were all calling for a broad sweep by Elsayed and that just did not pan out. It shows that the electorate is not not going that far left. And that what he eked out was in fact a victory, but by just a point. And it is not really showing, you know, the the grand rush to the left that everyone was was predicting, Hasan etc. So I really think that we shouldn't rush to think that this is predictive. And we also don't know what's going to happen in November. Also, you know, the results in Michigan in other districts where that moderate moderate Democrats were successful in pushing back against progressive DSA candidates. The same in Missouri where Wesley Bell pushed it back against Cori Bush. And in Virginia where moderate Democrats were successful against DSA candidates. So I don't think I don't think that we're seeing that the Democratic Party is moving entirely to the far left. We are seeing it happen in some pockets. And and we are seeing that this is happening also on the far right. So it is a problem in in America. It is not just a left problem. >> America than we've seen several years ago it seems. So where do we draw the line then between legitimate criticism of Israel and a party Democratic that that could become anti-Israel. Where is this line? >> Well, I I think that we're seeing that criticism of Israel and criticism of Israeli policy is becoming a a a legitimate talking point in in both parties right now, particularly in the Democratic Party. Particularly among younger Democrats and not just elected but among the electorate. And I think that Israel is going to have to address this if they want to be able to have bipartisan support from the US government. Now, I know that the Prime Minister here has spoken about moving away from having US government support, military support. And that may be cut something that's coming sooner rather than later based on what is happening both on the left and the right >> Well, exactly off that point El-Sayed he supports ending military aid to Israel altogether. Could that become a mainstream Democratic policy in the next few years? >> I think it is something that that is not going to be something that happens in immediately. It is something that is going to continue to be raised again and again and it's still too early to say how successful the far-left candidates are going to be in November and how strong of a of a base they will have in the US Congress and whether there will be more than the current the current one senator that that holds this position, which is Bernie Sanders. Um if if Sayed is elected, then there would be two. >> Well, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, he says that he would leave the party altogether if the Democrats officially become the anti-Israel party. What do you make of this red line? Is it a question that you've considered yourself? >> Well, American Democrats in Israel is not the is not part of the party. We are an affiliate of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. Um which we are aligned with our Jewish and Democratic values. We support candidates who Democratic candidates who support a strong relationship between Israel and the United States and based on that, we we we offer our support to candidates. For that reason, we supported Haley Stevens in the Michigan primary Um, and we think that there will be a path to victory for Democrats to control the Senate through other through other states, uh, not through Michigan. Um, we think that, uh, we have a path to victory through Alaska and through, uh, perhaps through Texas and Iowa, um, and through other states, uh, through North Carolina. >> All right. Well, certainly we'll be a midterm that everyone is watching not only in the United States, but certainly here in Israel as well. Heather Stone, thanks for being with us on I24 News. >> My pleasure. Thank you for having me. >> Bringing this conversation now in studio with our I24 News senior correspondent Owen Alterman who has also closely been watching this race. Owen, what do you make of all of it and how we should be perceiving this in Israel because this is an American Senate race at the end of the day? >> It's getting a lot of attention in Israel, Nicole. Israelis tend to want to wake up when someone has won when someone is in office, but we've had this primary that tells us a lot about what's going on in the Democratic Party and the challenges that Israel faces. And now we have a general election which is going to be absolutely fascinating. Look, you're right. This is obviously getting a lot of national and here international attention as a Michigan native and someone who grew up in the Detroit Jewish community. As I often tell viewers, I'm focused on the more personal element here. And what is it that those 130,000, according to reports on the internet, Michigan Jews are going to do here? Look, about a third are Republicans and will vote for a Republican regardless of the Democratic candidate is. There's a certain percentage. It would be interesting to start to put a number on it who either aren't interested enough in the issue of Israel or actually might agree with El Sayed and they would have been voting for him anyway, but there is that swing vote in the middle. And I don't know whether it's a half a percent of the total electorate that will come out in November or 0.7% of the total electorate come out in November, but these are plausible numbers, Nicole, of swing voters, of actual voters whose votes are up in the air to one degree or another. We see the reaction, the very emotional reaction on social media uh about people who are absolutely saying they're going to vote for Mike Rogers, and their vote for Abdul El-Sayed is lost. We see some number who are turned off or worse by what Abdul El-Sayed has said, but are still inclined to vote for him because they're concerned about the Republicans and concerned about Donald Trump and his movement, and concerned that Michigan could be the state to hand the Senate over to Republicans. To me, the interesting thing to follow, and I know this sounds absolutely crazy here 2 days after the primary, to what extent is Abdul, and I put this down in my report, is Abdul El-Sayed going to go and try to actually get those swing voters who are potentially reachable for him? And to what extent are there going to be institutions in the local Jewish community that are going to be interested in listening? We already have it was reported in Jewish Jewish Insider, the state representative Noah Arbit, who has been determined and determinately fighting anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party, come out and condemn Abdul El-Sayed, but end his Facebook post by saying he needs to come to the table. Nicole, there is that little opening for him to come and to start to make his case. And Abdul El-Sayed's point, he said, "Invite me and I'll come." Meaning, if you, a local synagogue or you, a local community center, were willing to invite me and put me on stage, I will come and listen and argue and be able to make my case for you. We're not there, it seems, from either side, but the interesting thing to watch in an election where you have, albeit a small slice of the electorate, but a slice it for purposes of this election, Nicole, are single-issue voters. They're single-issue voters. Action on a single issue could swing a few tens of thousands of votes. That could be a special prize in what could be a very close election. Will Abdul El-Sayed be willing to go out and do what needs to be done to soften his position on this issue? Or not? Cuz on one hand, he could win the votes, on the other hand, Nicole, what's the theory of the the This is an establishment versus anti-establishment election. So, if he were to soften his position on what's become a kind of signature issue for him, would that take the the shine off of his authenticity and off of the shock value that has gotten him to this point? So, an interesting, I think, political calculation for him and what could end up being an interesting political calculation for at least some institutions in the local community, even in the mainstream community, could be plausibly tempted to invite him and put him on stage. Although, I think it's safe to say, Nicole, that nobody is at that point right now.