Voters in Michigan are deciding a closely watched Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers, with the result potentially helping determine control of the chamber and making El-Sayed the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
Rogers cast his ballot at a polling station in White Lake, Michigan, shortly after voting opened. El-Sayed’s absentee ballot had already been submitted and counted.
The candidates are competing to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. A final poll put El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Rogers, although the result may not be known until Wednesday if the contest is close.
Polling stations opened at 7am local time and are due to close at 8pm. Department of Justice election monitors are to be present in Michigan and every other US state, in what has been described as the first such nationwide deployment in US history.
Michigan Senate race tests Democratic coalition
El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan to Egyptian parents, previously led Detroit’s health department. He has campaigned on progressive policies including Medicare for All and has openly criticised US support for Israel.
Rogers, a former congressman and close ally of President Donald Trump, is seeking a return to elected office after narrowly losing a Senate race to a Democrat in 2024.
Democrats need to gain four seats in the midterm elections to take back the Senate from Republicans and limit Trump’s control of the agenda. The Michigan contest is also being watched as a test of whether a progressive candidate who has condemned Israel’s actions can win in a swing state.
Both campaigns made a final appeal to voters on social media as polling began. El-Sayed shared a campaign video featuring former president Barack Obama and wrote: “It’s time. It’s up to us to show the country what’s possible. The world is watching.”
Rogers posted a video featuring interviews with supporters, one of whom called El-Sayed an “extremist”. The post carried the message: “We have a state to save”.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed El-Sayed after voting in New York, saying the Democrat was focused on the cost of living.
“There are millions of Michiganders whose number one issue is getting their costs down,” Mr Schumer said. “Abdul El-Sayed is … talking to the people about those issues and doing things about them … He is going to win tonight because he’s talking about what Michiganders care about.”
Dispute over Israel and attacks on El-Sayed
El-Sayed’s final campaign days were overshadowed by a dispute with Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom he narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary in August.
Ms Stevens endorsed Rogers on Sunday, saying she was “choosing country over hate”. She is a strong supporter of Israel, while El-Sayed has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and argued that US aid to Israel should instead be spent domestically.
When asked whether her decision to support Rogers was worth it, Ms Stevens said: “Absolutely. Voting is always worth it, right?” Asked whether her defection could cost Democrats the election, Mr Schumer replied: “Haley Stevens is one vote.”
El-Sayed has also faced attacks over his Muslim faith. Republican advertisements have attempted to associate him with terrorism and radicalism, while Trump has repeatedly called him a “jihadist” and made the unsubstantiated claim that he belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In a post shortly before polls opened, Trump wrote: “Abdul El-Sayed Hates Jews and Hates Blacks. Don’t feel bad, he also Hates Whites. Only fools would vote for him in the Michigan race for the U.S. Senate! He will, 100%, do you in! VOTE FOR MIKE ROGERS”.
Trump also referred to El-Sayed in a Fox News interview on Election Day, saying US financial aid to Israel should end in 2026. “Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like an El-Sayed when they [Israel] don’t need it?” he said.
