Politics & Government
Republicans Want Abdul El-Sayed To Be The Main Character Of The Midterms. He's Happy To Oblige
El-Sayed would be the country's first Muslim senator, crisscrossing the state to counter a Republican effort that portrays him as dangerous.
October 12, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed, holding a handheld mic and wearing his signature V-neck black shirt, slowly shook his head as a woman at his town hall described how she burned through her savings after undergoing emergency brain surgery.
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"I'm really sorry for your experience, and I hope that you're on the mend," said El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, after outlining proposals for guaranteed health care and paid leave.
Later that night, while talking to reporters in the basement below the theatre, his tone was far different. El-Sayed called his Republican opponent Mike Rogers a "coward," said President Trump was "afraid" to visit the state and dismissed as "dumb" a question about whether Iran or Israel posed a greater threat to the United States.
Find out what's happening in Across Michiganfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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