El-Sayed Faces Attacks Over Faith as Michigan Senate Race Tightens
El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, has faced attacks over his Arab and Muslim identity as the campaign enters its final stretch. President Donald Trump called him a “jihadist,” and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said a mailer placed his image beside the World Trade Center towers. McMorrow described the campaign as Islamophobic. Republican candidate Mike Rogers has tried to cast El-Sayed as hostile to America and associate him with the Muslim Brotherhood, while saying his attacks are not about religion.
The race has also been shaped by claims of antisemitism. Democratic primary runner-up Haley Stevens has criticized El-Sayed and endorsed Rogers, crossing party lines. On Monday, MS NOW host Peter Alexander asked Rep. Debbie Dingell whether El-Sayed had sufficiently condemned antisemitic language, including in an ad he had distanced himself from. Dingell said El-Sayed had condemned the ad and added that she wished both candidates would say such ads were wrong.
An ad linking high grocery prices to U.S. military aid to Israel has been among the disputes. El-Sayed’s allies say the attacks on his identity could affect voters, while a poll found that 38% of voters in Michigan would be more hesitant to support a Muslim contender.
Arab American and Muslim organizers are working to turn out voters for El-Sayed. Layla Elabed, an organizer whose group grew out of the Uncommitted movement, said the coalition of anti-war and anti-genocide voters was backing him. The Arab American Political Action Committee has additionally given him its backing. Political scientist Nazita Lajevardi said discrimination by political leaders can spur people to action, though whether it will do so in this race remains an open question. El-Sayed’s campaign said it set a one-day fundraising record after Stevens withdrew her endorsement.
Identity-Based Attacks Threaten to Shape Michigan Senate Race
The attacks on Abdul El-Sayed’s Arab and Muslim identity have become a defining feature of Michigan’s Senate race, even as his opponents shift attention to allegations of antisemitism. President Donald Trump called the Democratic nominee a “jihadist,” and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said a mailer showed his face beside the World Trade Center towers. McMorrow called the campaign Islamophobic.
Republican Mike Rogers has tried to associate El-Sayed with the Muslim Brotherhood and paint him as hostile to America, while denying that his attacks concern religion. The attacks come amid a poll finding that 38% of voters in Michigan would be more hesitant to support a Muslim contender.
Former Democratic primary rival Haley Stevens has criticized El-Sayed over antisemitic language and endorsed Rogers. On Monday, MS NOW host Peter Alexander questioned whether El-Sayed had clearly condemned such language in an ad he had distanced himself from. Rep. Debbie Dingell said El-Sayed had condemned the ad and wished both candidates would reject such ads.
Arab American and Muslim organizers are campaigning for El-Sayed. Layla Elabed said voters from the anti-war and anti-genocide coalition were supporting him, and the Arab American Political Action Committee has endorsed him. Political scientist Nazita Lajevardi said discrimination by political elites can mobilize people, though its effect in this election is uncertain. El-Sayed’s campaign reported its highest-ever single-day fundraising total after Stevens withdrew her endorsement.
Democrats’ Senate Fight Turns to El-Sayed’s Antisemitism Response
The Michigan Senate race has exposed a divide among Democrats over nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s response to antisemitic language in campaign ads. On Monday, MS NOW host Peter Alexander asked Rep. Debbie Dingell whether El-Sayed had done enough to condemn such language in an ad he had distanced himself from. Dingell said he had condemned it and urged both candidates to reject the ads.
Former primary rival Haley Stevens has accused El-Sayed of anger and antisemitism and crossed party lines to endorse Republican Mike Rogers. A disputed ad connected high grocery prices to U.S. military aid to Israel. Rogers has tried to depict El-Sayed as hostile to America and associate him with the Muslim Brotherhood, while saying the attacks are not about faith.
El-Sayed and his allies also point to attacks tied to his identity. President Donald Trump called him a “jihadist,” and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said a mailer placed his image beside the World Trade Center towers. McMorrow called the campaign Islamophobic. A poll found that 38% of voters in Michigan would be more hesitant to support a Muslim contender.
Arab American and Muslim organizers have endorsed or campaigned for El-Sayed. Layla Elabed said anti-war and anti-genocide voters were backing him, and the Arab American Political Action Committee endorsed him. El-Sayed’s campaign reported its highest-ever single-day fundraising total after Stevens withdrew her endorsement.
Reported by The Intercept, Breitbart.
