Michigan GOP Predicts 500 Jewish Democrats Will Break Over El-Sayed as 800 Back Him
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 22
Michigan GOP Predicts 500 Jewish Democrats Will Break Over El-Sayed as 800 Back Him
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 22
Summary
About 500 Jewish Democrats and independents in Michigan signed an open letter backing Republican Mike Rogers, and Michigan GOP chair Jim Runestad said Abdul El-Sayed’s candidacy could drive a broader Election Day defection.
A Rosh Hashanah video from El-Sayed intensified the dispute after he appeared with two pro-Palestinian Jewish women, drawing criticism from Democratic state Rep. Noah Arbit, who called it “tokenism.”
Runestad and Rogers allies say Jewish donors and voters are alarmed by El-Sayed’s comments and associations, including his links to streamer Hasan Piker, while the Rogers campaign says outreach and fundraising have gained traction.
El-Sayed’s campaign rejects claims of collapsing Jewish support, saying he is building a coalition to beat Rogers; liberal Jewish leaders say more than 800 Jewish Michiganders have signed a separate pro-El-Sayed letter.
Any Jewish shift toward Rogers could help Republicans in a close Senate race, though El-Sayed still draws strong backing from Michigan’s Arab American communities, especially around Dearborn.