STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — With Election Day two days away, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is trying to put a lingering fight with his former primary rival behind him as he battles Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s open seat.
At a Saturday campaign stop in Sterling Heights, speaking with reporters afterward, El-Sayed brushed off the conflict with Rep. Haley Stevens as a sideshow and steered back to his main themes: reducing the influence of money in politics, passing Medicare for All and leaving more money in voters’ pockets. He again said he did not make, and does not agree with, a political ad that blamed higher grocery bills on American backing for Israel.
Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed, has publicly pressed him to condemn that ad and to answer for past remarks that have worried some Jewish voters. The two had been expected to appear together Sunday with Rep. James Clyburn, but that joint appearance was in doubt by the weekend. Asked whether he wanted Stevens at church with him and Clyburn, El-Sayed said he would rather not distract from the campaign’s central issues.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on Saturday, telling people at his Mar-a-Lago Halloween party that the two Democrats were really fighting and giving Stevens credit for it.
The stakes reach well beyond Michigan. Incumbent Democrat Gary Peters did not seek another term, leaving the seat open. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, and Democrats would need to gain at least four for a majority, or five if they lose Michigan. Michigan has not sent a Republican to the Senate since Spencer Abraham left office in 2001, but Trump carried the state 49.7% to 48.3% in 2024.
Forecasters are split on the race, with ratings ranging from toss-up to lean Democratic. Three minor-party names round out the ballot: Douglas P. Marsh for the Greens, Lydia Christensen for the Libertarians and Timothy Long for the U.S. Taxpayers Party. El-Sayed is a former health director for Wayne County and the city of Detroit. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
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