Dearborn, Michigan – Chadi Abdulrazek, an Arab American political activist who has been volunteering to help elect Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, says he’s spoken in recent days to journalists from Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom. The United States Senate race between El-Sayed and his Republican rival Mike Rogers is attracting national and international attention, reflecting the potent political symbolism that belies its outcome, which extends far beyond one seat in the upper chamber of Congress. Supporters in each camp paint the contest as a crucial fight that could shape the political direction of the state and the nation for years.
Abdulrazek, a small business owner, said the election is a chance to hold Trump accountable for breaking his promises to pursue peace in the world and focus on the needs of Americans. For Arab and Muslim communities that have been facing Islamophobic attacks as part of the Senate race, the vote is pivotal, he added. Here, Al Jazeera looks at the US Senate race in Michigan and why it has gained so much attention.
El-Sayed is a public health advocate who previously led the health department in Detroit and Wayne County in southeast Michigan. If elected, the Democrat of Egyptian descent would become the first-ever Muslim US senator. El-Sayed ran for governor in 2018 but fell short in the Democratic primary against eventual winner Gretchen Whitmer.
The Democratic nominee has embraced progressive policies, especially Medicare for All – a plan to expand government-funded healthcare to everyone in the US. Rogers is a 63-year-old former US Congress member and state legislator. The Republican nominee ran for the Senate in 2024 and narrowly lost to centrist Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin.
He is a close ally of Donald Trump, but has sought to create some distance between his campaign and the unpopular president. For example, Rogers has supported Trump’s decision to join Israel in launching the war against Iran, while also calling for an end to the conflict. The Republican candidate also backs tax cuts, increasing domestic energy production and deregulation.
It will be difficult for Democrats to gain control of the Senate if they lose Michigan. The seat is currently held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters. A Rogers win would hand the swing state Senate seat to Republicans for at least six years.
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