Dearborn, Michigan — Chadi Abdulrazek, an Arab-American political activist who volunteered to help elect Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, says he has spoken in recent days to journalists in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom.
The U.S. Senate race between El-Sayed and Republican rival Mike Rogers is attracting national and international attention, reflecting the powerful political symbolism behind its outcome, which extends well beyond a seat in the upper house of the U.S. Congress.
Supporters on each side describe the contest as a crucial fight that could shape the political direction of the state and the United States for years to come.
Abdulrazek, a small business owner, said the election was a chance to hold Trump accountable for breaking his promises to pursue world peace and focus on the needs of Americans.
For Arab and Muslim communities who have faced Islamophobic attacks in the Senate race, the vote is crucial, he added.
“What’s at stake is that they have to stand up for themselves and say, ‘We’re part of this country, and 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’s gotten so much attention.
Who are the candidates?
El-Sayed is a public health advocate who previously led the health department in Detroit and Wayne County in southeastern Michigan. He is 42 years old.
If elected, the Egyptian-born Democrat will become the first Muslim senator in the United States.
El-Sayed ran for governor in 2018, but was unsuccessful in the Democratic primary against eventual winner Gretchen Whitmer. The Democratic candidate has embraced progressive policies, particularly Medicare for All – a plan to expand government-funded health care to everyone in the United States.
Rogers is a 63-year-old former U.S. Congressman and state legislator. The Republican candidate ran for Senate in 2024 and narrowly lost to centrist Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin.
He is a close ally of Donald Trump, but he has sought to create some distance between his campaign and the unpopular US president.
For example, Rogers supported Trump’s decision to join Israel in launching war against Iran, while calling for an end to the conflict.
The Republican candidate also supports tax cuts, increased domestic energy production and deregulation.
Why is running so important?
It will be difficult for Democrats to take control of the Senate if they lose Michigan. The seat is currently held by incumbent Democrat Gary Peters.
A Rogers victory would give the swing state Senate seat to Republicans for at least six years.
The race, however, is not just about partisan calculus in the Senate. It is a test of the electoral viability of progressive ideas, including harsh criticism of Israel, in a swing state.
While the Senate has many progressive members, most come from coastal states considered Democratic strongholds.
An El-Sayed victory in Michigan would show that his message can attract a winning coalition, which could influence how Democratic presidential candidates might run their campaigns in 2028.
There is also the factor of El-Sayed’s Muslim faith, which has become the subject of almost daily attacks from Rogers and Trump.
The race has raised questions about whether Michigan and the United States are ready to welcome a Muslim senator.
Why is Haley Stevens making headlines again?
It’s rare for a candidate who lost a primary to be part of a major storyline in a general election, but Stevens made headlines days before the vote after her fiancé endorsed Rogers, citing El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Stevens, a Democrat in the US House of Representatives, also criticized El-Sayed for her positions on Israel, while saying she would always vote for the Democratic candidate.
On Sunday, Stevens went further and appeared with Rogers at a press conference and endorsed the Republican candidate.
“I choose country over hate,” she said after attending a church service with Rogers. “It’s not anti-Muslim at all.”
Democrats immediately came out against Stevens, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling his actions a “despicable betrayal.”
El-Sayed also hit back, saying he “doesn’t think about Haley Stevens.”
Why has Israel become a major issue in the race?
El-Sayed accused Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza, echoing the findings of leading human rights organizations and United Nations investigators.
The Democrat also linked wars, including the conflict in Iran and U.S. aid to Israel, to domestic problems. He argues that American taxpayer dollars are better spent on solving domestic problems, such as health care and crumbling infrastructure. Pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent tens of millions of dollars to help defeat El-Sayed.
AIPAC supported El-Sayed’s opponent, Haley Stevens, to the tune of more than $30 million, making Israeli politics one of the most talked about topics during the election.
El-Sayed weathered the spending onslaught in the primaries, but Rogers — a staunch supporter of Israel — took advantage of criticism leveled at El-Sayed from pro-Israel supporters, including some Democrats.
Rogers – who pledged unconditional support for Israel – accused El-Sayed of caring more about Palestine than Michigan.
After a lull in spending in Michigan, AIPAC returned to the race to support Rogers.
The electoral arm of the pro-Israel lobby group, United Democracy Project, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on mailers against El-Sayed. According to the New York Times, he paid $9 million to a Republican group supporting Rogers.
What are voters saying?
Supporters of Rogers and El-Sayed interviewed by Al Jazeera stressed the importance of the race.
Former Democratic lawmaker Cynthia Johnson said negative campaigning around El-Sayed’s religion and ethnicity made the election particularly crucial.
“What’s really at stake is life and death. Our children are being exposed to very negative and unpleasant things,” Johnson told Al Jazeera.
“We need to vote like our lives depend on it because we have a person in the White House right now who is a maniac and we need as many people as possible who will speak out – people like Abdul.”
Outside a Trump rally on Sunday, Rogers supporter Rob Cortis expressed similar urgency.
“This election is so important. Our country is at stake. Our border is at stake. The future of our children in America is at stake,” Cortis told Al Jazeera.
“Whether it swings toward communism, socialism, or Muslim rule, America was never meant to be. America is meant to be a nation of Christians, showing the goodness of God,” he said.
What do the polls say?
The most recent polls give El-Sayed a slight lead over Rogers – ranging from four to seven percentage points.
However, polls in Michigan – a diverse state of more than 10 million people – have proven unreliable in recent decades, often giving results off by several percentage points.
The Cook Political Report has classified the race as a toss-up, and both campaigns have warned their supporters that the outcome could come down to a few thousand votes.
Who spends in the race?
With nearly $300 million spent, the U.S. Senate race in Michigan is poised to become one of the costliest in the country.
Political action committees (PACs) aligned with the two major parties have purchased advertisements to support their respective candidates.
On the Republican side, one of the biggest spenders has been the Senate Leadership Fund, whose biggest donors include pro-Israel billionaire Miriam Adelson.
MAGA Inc and its subsidiary No Going Back, a pro-Trump group funded by the US president’s allies including Adelson and Elon Musk, have also spent millions of dollars on the race.
The Great Lakes Conservative Fund (GLCF), a Michigan Republican PAC that AIPAC supported in the general election, also spent heavily, according to media reports.
The Senate Majority PAC (SMP) and an affiliated group called WINSENATE were the biggest spenders. SMP’s major backers include businessmen Fred Eychaner and Amos Hostetter Jr.
When do the elections take place?
Early voting is underway across Michigan and hundreds of thousands of people have already cast their ballots.
Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, will be the last day to vote. Polls in Michigan close at 8 p.m. (0100 GMT Wednesday).
When will the result come out?
It depends on how close the race is. If the competition is close, Michigan probably won’t know who won until Wednesday. In the August primary, when El-Sayed narrowly beat Stevens, the Associated Press did not call the race until around 10 a.m. (3 p.m. GMT) on the Wednesday after Election Day.
Similarly, Michigan was called for Trump in 2024 around 1:00 p.m. (18:00 GMT) the day after the election.
However, if one of the candidates takes a sizable lead statewide, they could be projected as the winner within hours of the election closing.
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