New: The Democrats' El-Sayed Problem Just Got Real, and the Political Price Could Be Huge

I was up until the wee hours of the morning watching results come in for the Michigan Democrat Senate primary, and at one point it honestly looked like Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) was going to surprise everyone and defeat Abdul El-Sayed.

But it wasn't meant to be. The anti-America, anti-Israel El-Sayed was projected as the winner early Wednesday, winning by narrow margins in what can only be described as a nightmare scenario for the Democrat establishment in a purple state like Michigan, where the party is desperate to keep the Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters blue in their bid to retake control of the upper chamber.

As we reported, the DSA-endorsed El-Sayed is already out with the tough talk, calling his Republican opponent, Trump-backed former congressman Mike Rogers, who is an Army veteran, a "coward" and using threatening language, proclaiming that "by the time we’re done, you are not going to have safe quarter from people holding you accountable to what you’ve done for them here in Michigan."

It was a brazen statement from an overly cocky nominee who perhaps doesn't realize how close he came to losing on Tuesday, and how the deep division in Michigan among Democrats could hurt his campaign down the home stretch.

Just how deep are those divisions? Deep enough that an opportunity has presented itself for Rogers in the form of disaffected Jewish Democrats who don't like El-Sayed:

BREAKING @jewishinsider via @marcrod97: “Jewish Dems ‘disappointed’ in Michigan Senate results, stop short of endorsing El-Sayed”https://t.co/FTGaQoeHvt https://t.co/FTGaQoeHvt
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) August 5, 2026

The Republican Jewish Coalition has already made its first move, appealing to Jewish Democrats in the Great Lakes State to support Rogers:

Inbox: @RJC calls Abdul El-Sayed “a direct threat to Michigan’s Jewish community” and urges Jewish Democrats to support Mike Rogers in the general election pic.twitter.com/rQNiImP2hb
— Matthew Kassel (@matthewkassel) August 5, 2026

There are already rumblings that prominent Jewish Democrats in the state will soon make their intentions known in the coming weeks:

A Democratic fundraiser in Michigan tells me it is “absolutely certain” that “several large Jewish Dem donors” will be backing Rogers. “I would guarantee there will be fundraisers for him hosted by high-profile Jewish Dems” https://t.co/gsy57VILk2
— Matthew Kassel (@matthewkassel) August 5, 2026

Similar reports surfaced in late July as it became clearer that El-Sayed would likely be the nominee:

Several Jewish Michigan Democrats admitted Tuesday they or people they know will be backing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in the upcoming election if Abdul El-Sayed becomes the Democratic nominee.
Ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election, Jewish donors spoke with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) about the possibility of El-Sayed, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel, becoming the party's nominee for the Michigan Senate seat.
JTA reported that several prominent Jewish fundraisers have already begun to see Rogers as a "hedge" and are planning to raise funds for him against El-Sayed.

The Manhattan Institute's Jesse Arm observed that "We've seen data that suggests large numbers of Stevens voters would not necessarily support El-Sayed over Rogers in November." He urged the Rogers campaign to capitalize on it, predicting that if they did, "There'll be lots of Democrats for Rogers. Probably more than any Michigan GOP Senate candidate has had since Spencer Abraham."

As for what Rogers' campaign strategy will be, right now that's being held close to the vest. But he put out some hints in a statement made after El-Sayed was projected to be the winner, pointing out the stark contrasts between himself and the far-left extremist Democrat nominee:

"I spent years hunting terrorists and bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11. Abdul doesn't represent a vision for the future. He's leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism. His agenda would make our communities less safe and our state less affordable. He wants to empty prisons and put murderers and sex offenders back on our streets. He pledged his support to the Muslim Brotherhood and campaigns with people who refuse to condemn terrorism. And, he advocated for the largest tax hike in American history — costing families already struggling to make ends meet over $3000 more per year. This election isn't just about choosing a Senator. It's about deciding whether Michigan has a future built on common sense — or whether we hand the keys to the most fringe extremists in the nation."
We have a state to save, Michigan. Let's Get to Work.”

To be clear, it was Hasan Piker who said America "deserved 9/11." But that was a clever way for Rogers to get the conversation started on El-Sayed's embrace of Piker as a de facto spokesman of sorts for his campaign, even if that's not what Rogers intended.

I can't wait to see what plays out in this race, and to see to what extent, if any, El-Sayed's candidacy is going to cost Democrats come November. It has the potential to be huge.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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