Republican Mike Rogers Courts Disaffected Jewish Democrats in Tight Michigan Senate Contest
Former Rep. Mike Rogers is urging Jewish voters to back him over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, citing the latter’s criticism of Israel.
Former congressman and ex-FBI agent Mike Rogers, who missed victory in Michigan’s Senate race by about 20,000 votes, has started a “Democrats for Mike” outreach aimed at Jewish voters dissatisfied with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Rogers argues that El-Sayed’s description of Israel’s Gaza campaign as “bloodthirsty,” his calls to end unconditional U.S. aid to Israel, and his association with controversial streamer Hasan Piker alienate the Jewish community.
Prominent figures such as Rabbi Asher Lopatin and a suburban-Detroit voter named Stacy say they will cross party lines, while the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus distances itself from a letter urging a similar shift. El-Sayed, a former health department director and prospective first Muslim senator, maintains he stands with Jewish people and condemns antisemitism. The race is a pivotal battleground seat that could tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
Why it matters
The contest could flip a key Senate seat and affect which party controls Congress.
How this story developed
- Jul 31 Hasan Piker says 2028 Democratic nominee will be anti-Israel, backs AOC
- Aug 1 Republican former congressman Mike Rogers argues that a move toward the left by Democrats, driven by figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, gives Republicans a chance to win Michigan’s open Senate seat.
- Aug 3 Hard-left organizations are backing challengers in four Michigan congressional primaries, aiming to unseat established Democrats and a Republican incumbent.
- Aug 5 Donald Trump praised Abdul El‑Sayed’s primary win as an advantage for the Michigan GOP.
- Aug 5 The Democratic primary has become a contest between progressive Abdul El‑Sayed and moderate Haley Stevens, framed as a battle for the party’s direction.
- Aug 10 Abdul El‑Sayed secured the Democratic nomination in the Michigan Senate primary.
- Aug 11 Piker’s mother publicly said she does not share his enthusiasm for China.
- Aug 13 Mike Rogers has continued to cite the 2019 Hasan Piker comment in campaign materials.
- Aug 13 The Green Party nominated Shane Dedrick, prompting accusations of a possible Republican infiltration.
- Aug 15 The University of Washington withdrew Piker’s scheduled speech.
- Aug 18 In the battleground Michigan Senate race, Mike Rogers has launched a "Democrats for Mike Rogers" outreach, featuring a Jewish voter named Chelsea who says she will break with the party line. The effort includes yard signs and a fundraiser organized by prominent Jewish community leaders, including the president of the Jewish Federation of Detroit. Rogers argues that el Sayed's past anti-Israel statements risk alienating the state's sizable Jewish electorate, which traditionally leans Democratic. El Sayed has pledged to protect Jewish safety but has not commented on Rogers' new strategy. The contest follows a narrow 2024 loss for Rogers to Elissa Slotkin and a close primary win for el Sayed.
- Aug 19 Piker publicly accused the Democratic Socialists of America of practicing taqiyya to mask policy positions.
- Aug 20 A Senate primary debate has been set for September 15.
In this story
Related stories
18 in this thread