Michigan Senate race: How Abdul El-Sayed became the face of a battle he isn’t alone in

Michigan is one of the most closely watch seats this US Midterm Elections season as the contest is a tight one between Democratic candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Republican former Representative Mike Rogers. While US President Donald Trump has backed Rogers and targeted El-Sayed with his usual anti-Muslim rhetoric in almost all his campaign speeches, the Democratic candidate has shared stage with former President Barack Obama – making the battle one of the high-decibel one.

Abdul El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination after narrowly defeating moderate U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in a closely contested primary. Mike Rogers is leading the Republican ticket to defend the seat. The two candidates clashed in a high-stakes televised debate covering key economic and foreign policy pressures, including inflation and gas prices, international trade tariffs, and the impact of economic relations with Canada. The race has drawn substantial national investment, with Republican groups spending roughly $104 million compared to $55 million by Democratic organizations.

Also Read: ‘Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory’: Obama mocks Trump’s White House renovations; defends Abdul El-Sayed

What poll indicates?

A CNN Poll of Polls average published on Oct 22, 2026, indicates a neck-and-neck race with Abdul El-Sayed at 49 per cent and Mike Rogers at 47 per cent among likely voters. Polling from the Marist Poll conducted between October 15 and October 18, 2026, shows a narrow two-point margin separating the two candidates, falling well within the survey's +/- 4.3 percentage point margin of error. Public data compiled by Reuters on October 19, 2026, notes that El-Sayed maintains a variable lead of 1 to 7 percentage points across the broader field of recent surveys.

Also Read: ‘Pet massacre’ allegations on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed: Over 4,000 dogs and cats euthanised

How Trump made the campaign about El-Sayed?

Escalating his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Trump urged Jewish voters to not support him. He said those supporting him should “be ashamed of themselves.” “Michigan needs to stand up and fight,” Trump said Sunday as he tried to boost Republican candidates running in the Nov. 3 midterm elections in Michigan. “Stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol.” He went on to compare El-Sayed to the attackers who took over United Flight 93 during the September 11, ‌2001, attacks. He also attacked El-Sayed on Saturday by referring him as “Mohammed” and making a generalisation about names from the region. Critics accused Trump of making racist and Islamophobic comments. "The guy in Michigan is pretty bad too -- Mohammed, as I call him ... if you have any question about somebody from that part of the world's name, just call him 'Mohammed,' you'll be right 64% of the time."

Obama comes out in support of El-Sayed

Obama shared stage with El-Sayed on Oct 24, at a high-stakes campaign rally at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan and condemned critics, including Trump who were using El-Sayed's name or Muslim faith to attack him. “We have seen this movie before. I starred in it,” Obama told a packed high school gymnasium in Detroit. “I have got a long-form birth certificate to prove it.” He added: “Abdul is as Michigan as it gets.” The former president rejected claims that El-Sayed was a radical, saying, “Abdul shares my values.” He also acknowledged that El-Sayed had criticised him after his 2012 re-election for not fulfilling all his progressive campaign promises.