DEARBORN, MI – Chadi Abdulrazek, an Arab-American political activist who is volunteering his time helping elect Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, said he has spoken to journalists in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom in recent days.
The U.S. Senate race between Mr. El-Sayed and his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, has attracted national and international attention, reflecting the strong political symbolism that underpins the outcome, which goes well beyond a single Senate seat.
Supporters on each side portray the contest as a key battle that could shape the political direction of the state and country for years.
Abdulrazek, a small business owner, said this election is an opportunity to hold President Trump accountable for breaking his promise to pursue world peace and focus on the needs of the American people.
He added that the vote was crucial for Arab and Muslim communities, who are facing Islamophobic attacks as part of the Senate campaign.
“What’s at stake is that they have to stand up for themselves and say, ‘We’re part of this country, we’re going to vote, and we’re going to actually make a change,'” Abdulrazek told Al Jazeera.
Here, Al Jazeera takes a look at the U.S. Senate race in Michigan and why it has garnered so much attention.
Who are the candidates?
El-Sayed is a public health advocate who previously led the health departments in Detroit and Wayne County in southeastern Michigan. He is 42 years old.
If elected, the Egyptian-American Democrat would become the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.
El-Sayed ran for governor in 2018, but fell short to eventual Democratic primary winner Gretchen Whitmer. Democratic candidates embrace progressive policies, especially Medicare for All, a plan to expand government-funded health care to everyone in the United States.
Mr. Rogers is a 63-year-old former U.S. Congressman and state representative. The Republican candidate ran for the Senate in 2024, but narrowly lost to centrist Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin.
Although he is a close ally of Donald Trump, he has sought to put some distance between his campaign and the unpopular president.
For example, while Mr. Rogers supports President Trump’s decision to join Israel in starting a war with Iran, he also calls for an end to the conflict.
Republican candidates also support lower taxes, increased domestic energy production and deregulation.
Why is race so important?
If Democrats lose Michigan, it will be difficult for them to control the Senate majority. This seat is currently held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
If Rogers wins, the battleground state’s Senate seat will remain open to Republicans for at least six years.
But this race is not just about partisan battles in the Senate. This is a test of whether progressive ideas, including sharp criticism of Israel, are electorally viable in battleground states.
There are many progressive members in the Senate, but most of them are from coastal states considered to be strongholds of the Democratic Party.
A victory for Mr. El-Sayed in Michigan would show that his message can attract a winning coalition, which could influence the campaigns of 2028 Democratic presidential candidates.
Mr. El-Sayed’s Islamic faith made him the target of near-daily attacks by Mr. Rogers and Mr. Trump.
The race raises questions about whether Michigan and the United States are ready for a Muslim senator.
Why has Israel become a major issue in the race?
El-Sayed echoed the findings of leading human rights organizations and UN investigators, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Democrats also link wars to domestic issues, such as the Iran conflict and U.S. support for Israel. He argues that U.S. taxpayer money would be better spent addressing domestic problems such as health care and crumbling infrastructure. A pro-Israel group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has spent tens of millions of dollars supporting the overthrow of El Sayed.
AIPAC has backed El-Sayed’s opponent, Haley Stevens, with more than $30 million, making Israel policy one of the most debated issues in the election.
Although Mr. El-Sayed weathered an onslaught of spending in the primary, Mr. Rogers, an ardent supporter of Israel, has faced criticism of Mr. El-Sayed from pro-Israel supporters, including some Democrats.
Mr. Rogers, who has vowed unconditional support for Israel, accused Mr. El-Sayed of caring more about Palestine than Michigan.
After a lull in spending in Michigan, AIPAC is back in the race supporting Mr. Rogers.
The United Democracy Project, the election arm of the pro-Israel lobby, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on mailings to El-Sayed. According to the New York Times, he funneled $9 million to Republican groups supporting Mr. Rogers.
Why is Hayley Stevens back in the headlines?
It is unusual for a candidate who lost the primary to become a major issue in the general election, but Mr. Stevens has been in the news days before the vote after his fiancée endorsed Mr. Rogers, citing Mr. El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
Stevens, a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, also criticized El-Sayed’s stance on Israel, but said he would still vote for the Democratic candidate.
The congressman has repeatedly appeared in the media bashing El-Sayed, earning him scorn from some Democrats.
On Friday, El-Sayed and several Democratic advocacy groups and politicians responded to Stevens, saying the party needs to focus on winning Senate seats.
El-Sayed said in a statement that while the priority should be “defeating Mr. Trump’s hand-picked candidate,” “Mr. Stevens appears intent on re-trying the primary that ended three months ago.”
What are voters saying?
Both Rogers and El-Sayed supporters interviewed by Al Jazeera emphasized the importance of the race.
Former Democrat Cynthia Johnson said negative campaigning surrounding El-Sayed’s religion and ethnicity made the election especially important.
“What’s really at stake is life or death. Our children are being exposed to something very negative and unpleasant,” Johnson told Al Jazeera.
“We have to vote like our lives depend on it, because we have a madman in the White House right now. We need people like Abdul to speak out as much as possible.”
Outside the Trump rally on Sunday, Rodgers supporter Rob Courtis expressed similar urgency.
“This election is extremely important. Our country is at stake. Our borders are at stake. The future of America’s children is at stake,” Courtis told Al Jazeera.
“Whether it turns to communism, socialism, or even Islamic rule, America was never meant to do that. America was meant to be a Christian nation demonstrating God’s goodness.”
What are the polls saying?
The latest polls show Mr El-Sayed holding a narrow lead over Mr Rogers, ranging from 4 to 7 percentage points.
But polls in Michigan, home to a diverse population of more than 10 million people, have been unreliable over the past few decades, with results often wrong by several percentage points.
The Cook Political Report classifies the race as a close one, with both sides warning supporters that the outcome could be a difference of thousands of votes.
Who is spending money on racing?
With nearly $300 million spent, Michigan’s Senate race is quickly becoming one of the most expensive in the nation.
Political action committees (PACs) affiliated with both major political parties buy ads supporting their respective candidates.
On the Republican side, one of the biggest spenders is the Senate Leadership Fund, whose biggest donors include pro-Israel billionaire Miriam Adelson.
MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump group funded by Adelson and allies of the US president including Elon Musk, and its subsidiary No Going Back, are also spending millions of dollars on the campaign.
The Great Lakes Conservative Fund (GLCF), a Michigan Republican PAC that AIPAC supported in the general election, is also spending heavily, according to media reports.
Senate Majority PAC (SMP) and its affiliate group WINSENATE are the largest spenders. SMP’s top funders include businessmen Eichaner Fred and Amos Hostetter Jr.
When is the election?
Early voting is underway across Michigan, with hundreds of thousands of people already voting.
The last day to vote is Tuesday, November 3rd. Polls in Michigan close at 8pm (1am GMT Wednesday).
When will the results be available?
It depends on how close the races are. If it’s a close game, Michigan likely won’t know who won until Wednesday. Mr. El-Sayed narrowly defeated Mr. Stevens in the August primary, but the Associated Press did not call the race until around 10 a.m. (3:00 p.m. Japan time) on the Wednesday after election day.
Similarly, the state of Michigan called for the election of President Trump in 2024 at around 1:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. Japan time) the day after the election.
But if one candidate gains a commanding lead statewide, that candidate could be projected as the winner hours after polls close.
