Michigan Senate Race Decides as Voters Toss Up $100 Million Ad War
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers face off Tuesday in a contest that could shift Senate control, following a primary that cost Democrats nearly $60 million.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
Voters in Michigan cast ballots Tuesday to decide the state's open Senate seat. The race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is a high-stakes contest that may determine which party controls the Senate in the new Congress. Democrats need to win four seats to claim a majority. Losing this seat could make that goal out of reach.
El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health director, seeks to prove a progressive agenda centered on universal healthcare can win in a state President Donald Trump carried in 2024. He narrowly defeated establishment-backed Representative Haley Stevens in an expensive Democratic primary. That primary cost El-Sayed nearly $60 million in outside spending. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent almost $30 million, its largest investment in a single race.
Rogers, a former congressman, views this election as a second chance. He lost Michigan's 2024 Senate race by fewer than 20,000 votes. This time, he competes without Trump at the top of the ballot. High gas prices and trade tensions with Canada have weighed on Republicans nationally. Rogers has focused on attacking El-Sayed rather than touting Republican legislative wins. He campaigned alongside Trump at a rally in Port Huron on October 25.
The race has been marked by sharp divisions. Disputes over U.S. support for Israel and accusations of antisemitism overshadowed the campaign. Stevens, a four-term representative from metro Detroit, endorsed Rogers in the final days. She said El-Sayed did not address concerns from Black and Jewish communities that supported her in August. El-Sayed responded to a March attack on a local synagogue by saying hurt people hurt people. He later apologized to anyone who felt his comments were hurtful.
Republicans have linked El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim senator, to terrorist organizations. No evidence of such ties exists. Trump repeatedly called El-Sayed a jihadist. El-Sayed appeared with political streamer Hasan Piker multiple times during the primary but has since distanced himself. Piker has made inflammatory comments about Israel and the September 11 attacks.
El-Sayed has worked to expand the Democratic coalition. He held campus rallies to drive youth turnout and courted disillusioned Republicans in rural areas. Kamala Harris campaigned with him in September, calling him a stopgap on Trump. Barack Obama joined a rally for El-Sayed and other Democrats days before Election Day. No Republican has won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994. The retirement of two-term Democrat Gary Peters created this rare opening.
The campaign drew more than $100 million in advertising since the August 4 primary. The war with Iran and high everyday costs remain key issues. Rogers wrote on social media in September that the war needs to end and end quickly. The final tally will show which candidate wins the state's diverse electorate.
