Michigan Jewish Democrats Eye Mike Rogers After Abdul El-Sayed's Narrow Primary Win
Updated
Updated · Jewish Insider · Aug 6
Michigan Jewish Democrats Eye Mike Rogers After Abdul El-Sayed's Narrow Primary Win
3 articles · Updated · Jewish Insider · Aug 6
Summary
Several Jewish Democrats in Michigan say they may back Republican Mike Rogers in November after Abdul El-Sayed’s razor-thin Senate primary win, with some donors and activists already leaning his way.
Their break with the party is driven by El-Sayed’s rhetoric on Israel and comments critics say downplay antisemitism, concerns he deepened Wednesday by calling Israel “bloodthirsty” in a TV interview.
Rogers’ campaign and allied groups moved quickly to capitalize, contacting disaffected Democrats, planning fundraisers aimed at Jewish donors and arguing the state’s more than 100,000 Jewish voters could be decisive.
Democratic leaders rallied behind El-Sayed, but the Jewish Democratic Council of America withheld an endorsement, while AIPAC signaled it would work to defeat him and some Jewish Democrats said they may leave the race blank instead.
The split adds new volatility to a close Michigan Senate race for retiring Sen. Gary Peters’ seat, testing whether Israel politics can pull a slice of Democratic voters across party lines in a battleground state.