Abdul El‑Sayed, fresh off securing Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination, on Wednesday opened the general election fight by casting former Rep. Mike Rogers as another yes‑man for President Trump — and himself as the fighter ready to confront the president and the entrenched powers he says have left the working class behind.
“Mike Rogers is a guy who, believe it or not, went back to Florida so he can lick every single boot Donald Trump owns to beg for his endorsement,” Mr. El‑Sayed told supporters. “I’m so sorry if you want a senator who’s going to lick some boots; fine, go vote for Mike Rogers. But if you want a senator who’s going to stand up to Donald Trump, then you’ve got your option right here.”
He also accused Mr. Rogers of being politically soulless. “Is he MAGA? Is he neocon? Nah, man, he’s just a corporate sellout,” the Democrat said.
Mr. El‑Sayed then challenged Mr. Rogers — who left Congress in 2015 and unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 2024 — to a series of five debates, aiming to put the Republican on the defensive early in a race expected to be among the most competitive in the country.
Mr. El‑Sayed’s criticism came shortly after networks announced he squeaked out a victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in a hard‑fought primary that saw record Democratic turnout and more than $70 million spent.
Mr. Rogers returned fire, saying the contest is a choice between “common sense or complete insanity” and saying Democrats have driven “our state into the ground.”
“Abdul isn’t just another liberal. He’s an extremist,” he said in a statement, warning that the Democrat is a terrorist sympathizer, supports soft‑on‑crime policies that would make communities less safe and is “leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.”
The matchup instantly becomes central to the fight for Senate control, with both parties bracing for a multimillion‑dollar battle in a state that has swung back and forth in recent cycles.
Mr. Rogers has signaled he will lean heavily on public‑safety, border‑security and economic‑stability themes, pitching himself as a steadier hand after what he describes as years of Democratic mismanagement.
Mr. El‑Sayed’s win showcased the strength of the younger and more liberal voters who powered his coalition — a bloc he hopes will carry into November. Republicans are betting Mr. El-Sayed’s message will not stick with a broader general election audience.
More than $30 million of the primary spending came from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) United Democracy Project, which targeted Mr. El‑Sayed over his ripping of Israel’s military efforts in Gaza and his calls to end military assistance to the Jewish state.
On Wednesday, Mr. El‑Sayed moved to reach out to Ms. Stevens’ voters, including those concerned about his desire to overhaul the U.S.-Israel relationship.
SEE ALSO: Trump brands victorious El-Sayed a ‘Communist who hates Jews’
“To all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters,” he said.
Mr. El‑Sayed added, “Self‑determination for one people does not require the quenching of self‑determination for another people.”
He also told reporters that the GOP’s attempts to scare off voters by highlighting his full name and Egyptian heritage are not a winning message.
“That’s the best you got?” he said. “My name is not raising your gas prices. My name is not taking us to war. My name is not the reason you can’t afford your groceries.
“You know what is? Their B.S. policies.”
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