The open Michigan seat in the US Senate has emerged as one of the closest contests in this week’s midterm elections. Democrats need to hold the seat, while Republicans need to win it to strengthen their position in Congress during Donald Trump’s presidency. The race pits Democratic physician Abdul El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent and congressman.
Although midterms usually focus on domestic issues, the war in Gaza has become a major factor for Michigan voters. The candidates have both drawn attention to US spending on the conflict. Brown University’s Costs of War project estimates that the expense exceeded $31 billion in the first two years. Rogers, who is backed by Trump, describes military aid to Israel after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks as a matter of US national security. El-Sayed has condemned the use of American tax revenue to fund what he calls a genocide, a charge Israel strongly rejects.
Michigan has the largest share of Arab Americans of any US state and also a sizable Jewish population. Both communities have historically been important parts of the Democratic coalition, but dissatisfaction with the party’s Middle East policy shaped some voters’ choices in 2024. Samraa Luqman, a Yemeni American who had been a lifelong Democrat, backed and campaigned for Trump that year. She now considers herself a Republican but supports El-Sayed, saying his position on Gaza is decisive for her Senate vote.
Arab American voter Amer Zahar said the 2024 election pushed Democrats to take Palestinian concerns more seriously, pointing to El-Sayed’s candidacy as evidence of change. El-Sayed won the Democratic primary by a narrow margin over Haley Stevens, a moderate and strong supporter of Israel. Two days before the election, Stevens publicly endorsed Rogers, describing the contest as a question of the Senate’s conscience and a referendum on hate.
The campaign has also prompted concern among some Jewish voters about whether El-Sayed would protect their community. After an attack on Temple Israel in Michigan in March, El-Sayed said that “hurt people hurt people.” He later apologized and said he had not intended to justify the attack, but his remarks continued to trouble some voters. Aaron Starr, president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis, said he would not vote for El-Sayed. University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who has known El-Sayed for 20 years, also said he was unsure whether he would support his former classmate, citing concerns about how El-Sayed views Jewish people and their community.
Rogers has sought Jewish voters’ support by presenting himself as a strong ally of Israel and has called El-Sayed anti-Jewish. Critics accuse Rogers of stoking Islamophobia by portraying his opponent as sympathetic to Islamic extremism. Rogers and Trump have also alleged that El-Sayed, whose family immigrated from Egypt, has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood; El-Sayed has repeatedly denied any connection and rejected the group.
The race has intensified political, ethnic and racial tensions in the state. Jewish voter David Freund, who supports El-Sayed, argued that protecting Jewish people should be part of defending the rights and safety of all minorities.
Sources: Folha Mundo.