Michigan voters split between party loyalty and Senate candidates in closely watched race

DEARBORN, Michigan — In a Michigan Senate race that has exposed deep divisions over Israel, antisemitism, and Islamophobia, some voters are finding themselves torn between their political loyalties and the candidates on the ballot. Several voters who spoke with the Washington Examiner on Tuesday described crossing party lines, with some Democrats reluctantly casting ballots for […]

DEARBORN, Michigan — In a Michigan Senate race that has exposed deep divisions over Israel, antisemitism, and Islamophobia, some voters are finding themselves torn between their political loyalties and the candidates on the ballot.

Several voters who spoke with the Washington Examiner on Tuesday described crossing party lines, with some Democrats reluctantly casting ballots for Republican Mike Rogers and Republicans backing Democrat Abdul el Sayed.

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The contest between the two candidates has become one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, with control of the chamber on the line. The GOP has a chance to flip a state where no Republican has won a Senate race since 1994. Rogers narrowly lost his previous Senate bid in 2024 by fewer than 20,000 votes.

But the race has been about much more than party politics.

El Sayed’s victory over Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in a bruising Democratic primary exposed deep divisions within the party, particularly among Jewish voters over his criticism of Israel and his response to antisemitism. Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, stunned Democrats in the final days of the campaign by publicly endorsing Rogers.

At the same time, Rogers and Republicans have repeatedly sought to portray el Sayed as sympathetic to extremist groups, including invoking his Muslim faith and making allegations of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. El Sayed has denied those accusations. The attacks have prompted accusations of Islamophobia from some Muslim voters and Democrats.

The result is a contest that has put the Democratic coalition under considerable strain.

In Birmingham, Andrew Siff said he voted for Rogers because he did not believe an el Sayed victory would be in the best interest of the Jewish community. He said he voted Democratic in the other races on the ballot.

“I voted for Mike Rogers,” Siff said. “I am a member of the Jewish community here, and I do not believe a vote for Abdul would be in the best interest of our community.”

Susan Swann, meanwhile, said she was not a Democrat but could not support Rogers because of his close association with President Donald Trump.

“I’m not a Democrat. I’m not. But Mike Rogers won’t stand up to [Trump],” she said. “I am going broke trying to fill up my tank. The tariffs are killing our businesses, and Mike Rogers is palling around with him. We need a change, and we need to send a message that this isn’t OK.”

For Emma Myer, who waited more than an hour in line at a polling place in downtown Detroit, the decision was clearer. She grew up in a Republican household but said she had voted Democratic in the past and was casting her ballot for el Sayed.

“My parents are voting for Mike Rogers because, well, they’re Republican,” Myer said. “My family told me I was stupid for voting for Abdul. It’s not even about Mike Rogers anymore. It’s about what the guy he’s standing next to supports, and the guy he’s standing next to is Donald Trump.”

In Dearborn, Patricia Jochim said she was backing el Sayed because she believes Democrats need to move further left rather than keep nominating more centrist candidates.

Patricia Jochim in Dearborn, Michigan, tells the Washington Examiner she will vote for Senate Democratic candidate Abdul el Sayed, on Nov. 3, 2026. (Barnini Chakraborty/Washington Examiner)

“So many times the Democrats run somebody who’s very central, such as Haley Stevens, and we keep moving the center further and further right,” Jochim told the Washington Examiner. “And I think we need people to start pushing it to the left.”

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Jochim said she was also worried that younger voters were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the political system and could eventually stop participating if they did not see meaningful change.

“People are so upset right now with the country,” she said. “The youth are so disgusted with us that if we don’t get change, they’re going to lose interest and just give up and not vote. And right now they’re voting.”

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