Dearborn Voters Weigh El-Sayed as Trump's Arab-American Coalition Faces Election Day Test
Michigan's Senate contest puts Dearborn's political shift under scrutiny, as voters who helped Donald Trump in 2024 weigh Democrat Abdul El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers.
Dearborn voters are weighing Michigan's Senate contest as the Arab-American support Donald Trump built in 2024 faces an Election Day test. Newsmax reported Tuesday from the majority Arab-American city on residents' views of Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is running against Republican Mike Rogers.
The race is part of the wider fight for control of the U.S. Senate. Michigan is a seat Democrats are defending, making it important to the party's attempt to gain a majority while Republicans work to keep control.
Trump made gains in Dearborn two years ago amid anger over the Biden administration's support for Israel during the Gaza war. But support for one presidential candidate does not guarantee support for that party's Senate candidate. Interviews published by The National on Monday describe some former Trump supporters moving toward El-Sayed, while at least one longtime Republican said he still planned to vote for Rogers.
Voters interviewed by The National cited concerns including the economy, the wars in Gaza and Iran, and Trump's remarks about El-Sayed's name and Muslim identity. Those interviews show individual views, not a citywide poll or a final election result.
El-Sayed has campaigned on health care and domestic spending and has opposed further U.S. military aid to Israel, according to The National. Rogers is seeking to hold together Republican support in a state Trump carried in 2024.
Newsmax's Kilmeny Duchardt reported from Dearborn for the network's National Report program Tuesday. The election will show whether the community's 2024 shift carries into this Senate race; the report itself does not establish how Dearborn or Michigan has voted.