Michigan voters cast ballots Tuesday in one of the most closely watched US Senate races, with some crossing party lines over the candidates' positions on Israel and ties to President Donald Trump, as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed seeks to become the first Muslim in the Senate and Republicans seek to win a Senate race in the state for the first time since 1994.
Voting got underway across Michigan on Tuesday in a Senate race that has exposed deep divisions within the Democratic Party and tested whether a progressive who openly criticizes Israel can win a swing state.
The contest between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers will fill the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters, with control of the Senate on the line. Democrats need to gain four seats nationwide to win back the chamber.
The race has been overshadowed by a rift within the Democratic Party after Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed narrowly defeated in the August primary, endorsed Rogers on Sunday. Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, said she was “choosing country over hate”. The pro-Israel lobby AIPAC spent more than $30m backing Stevens against El-Sayed.
Some voters told the Washington Examiner they were casting ballots against their usual party affiliation. Andrew Siff of Birmingham said he voted for Rogers because he did not believe an El-Sayed victory would be in the best interest of the Jewish community. Susan Swann, who said she was not a Democrat, said she could not support Rogers because of his close association with Trump, citing tariffs she said were hurting businesses.
El-Sayed, a former head of Detroit’s health department and a Muslim born to Egyptian parents, has faced persistent attacks on his faith. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called him a “jihadist”, and on Tuesday morning posted on Truth Social: “Abdul El-Sayed Hates Jews and Hates Blacks. Don’t feel bad, he also Hates Whites.” Republican Party ads have sought to link El-Sayed to terrorism and radicalism, while Trump has repeated an unfounded Republican claim that he belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed denies.
El-Sayed voted absentee. Rogers cast his ballot in White Lake on Tuesday. A final New York Times/Siena poll placed El-Sayed 11 points ahead. Polls close at 8pm local time.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed El-Sayed after casting his own ballot in New York, saying El-Sayed is “talking to the people about those issues and doing things about them”. Asked whether Stevens’s defection could hand the election to Republicans, Schumer said she was “one vote”.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The outcome could determine control of the US Senate for the final two years of President Trump’s term.
- A win for El-Sayed would make him the first Muslim senator, testing whether a progressive critical of Israel can succeed in a swing state.
- The race underscores a growing Democratic divide over the Israel-Gaza war and accusations of antisemitism versus Islamophobia.
Background
Michigan’s Senate seat opened with the retirement of Democrat Gary Peters. El-Sayed won a bruising primary against Representative Haley Stevens, a staunch Israel supporter, who later endorsed Rogers. AIPAC spent heavily against El-Sayed. The race is seen as a national bellwether for Trump’s influence and the Democratic coalition’s health.
Key Perspectives
Abdul El-Sayed: campaigned on progressive policies such as Medicare for All, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and arguing US aid to Israel would be better spent at home. He posted on social media: “It’s time. It’s up to us to show the country what’s possible.”
Mike Rogers: a former congressman and close Trump ally who narrowly lost a 2024 Senate bid. He posted a video with supporters calling El-Sayed an “extremist” and saying “We have a state to save.”
Haley Stevens: endorsed Rogers, saying she was “choosing country over hate” and calling El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel disqualifying.
President Donald Trump: called El-Sayed a “jihadist”, wrote on Truth Social that El-Sayed “Hates Jews and Hates Blacks”, and said US aid to Israel should stop at the end of 2026 because “Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed?”
Michigan voters: Some reported crossing party lines over Israel policy, Trump’s tariffs, or fears of Islamophobia. Emma Myer, a Detroit voter, said “it’s about what the guy he’s standing next to supports, and the guy he’s standing next to is Donald Trump.”
What to Watch
- Whether El-Sayed’s 11-point polling lead holds as returns come in; a close race may not be called until Wednesday.
- The size of defections among Democratic Jewish voters and whether Republican crossover votes offset them.
- How the Stevens endorsement influences suburban voters and the broader Democratic coalition.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedMichigan voters crossed party lines in the Senate race.Washington Examiner: “Several voters who spoke with the Washington Examiner on Tuesday described crossing party lines, with some Democrats reluctantly casting ballots for Republican Mike Rogers and Republicans backing Democrat Abdul el Sayed .”
- SupportedCandidates made a final push in the race.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Both candidates made a final push on social media as voting got under way.”
- SupportedSome voters crossed party lines over the candidates’ positions on Israel and their ties to Trump.Washington Examiner: “In Birmingham, Andrew Siff said he voted for Rogers because he did not believe an el Sayed victory would be in the best interest of the Jewish community. He said he voted Democratic in the other races on the ballot.”
- SupportedThe candidates are competing for the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters, with control of the Senate at stake.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The two candidates seek to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.”
- SupportedMichigan voters were casting ballots Tuesday in a closely watched race.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Michigan voters are casting their ballots in a charged, closely watched race”
- SupportedEl-Sayed could become the first Muslim in the US Senate.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Michigan voters are casting their ballots in a charged, closely watched race that could make Democrat Abdul El-Sayed the first Muslim in the United States Senate”
- SupportedNo Republican has won a Senate race in Michigan since 1994.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “No Republican has won a Senate race in the state since 1994”
- SupportedDemocrats need to gain four seats to regain the Senate.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Democrats need to gain four seats in Tuesday’s midterm elections to wrest back the Senate from Republicans and rein in Trump.”
- SupportedA final New York Times/Siena poll put El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Rogers.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “A final New York Times/Siena poll placed El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Rogers going into the election.”
- SupportedStevens said she was “choosing country over hate”.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “On Sunday, Stevens endorsed Rogers , saying she was “choosing country over hate””
- SupportedAIPAC spent more than $30 million backing Stevens against El-Sayed.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Stevens is a staunch supporter of Israel, and the pro-Israel lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent more than $30m backing her against El-Sayed.”
- SupportedTrump posted: “Abdul El-Sayed Hates Jews and Hates Blacks. Don’t feel bad, he also Hates Whites.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““Abdul El-Sayed Hates Jews and Hates Blacks. Don’t feel bad, he also Hates Whites. Only fools would vote for him in the Michigan race for the U.S. Senate! He will, 100%, do you in! VOTE FOR MIKE ROGERS,” Trump wrote.”