31.10.2026 11:20
In Michigan, one of the most competitive states in the US midterm elections on November 3, the Senate race is taking place under the shadow of the Gaza debate. In the state where Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who would become the country's first Muslim senator if elected, is running against Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers, Arab and Jewish voters are largely determining their preferences based on attitudes toward the war.
In US midterm elections, domestic issues such as the economy and cost of living usually come to the fore, but in Michigan the war in Gaza has become almost a litmus test for voters. The state's open Senate seat is critical to determining control of Congress.
“EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON GAZA”
Samraa Luqman, who voted Democratic all her life, said she gladly voted for Donald Trump to be re-elected in 2024. There is only one issue determining Luqman's vote in that election and in next week's midterms: Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC, Yemeni-American Luqman said, “Everything depends on Gaza.” Luqman said, “If you do not stand for what is right on Gaza, Israel and Palestine, no matter which party you are from, we do not want you in office and there is no need for us to vote for you.”
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS CHANGED THEIR PREFERENCE IN 2024
It is assessed that loyal Democratic voters like Luqman, who reacted to the Biden administration's support for Israel, contributed to the Republican Party's victory in the critical state of Michigan in 2024.
Michigan is seen as one of the places where the race is expected to be most competitive in the November 3 midterm elections. Similar concerns are shaping the preferences of Michigan voters on both sides of the Gaza debate.
FIERCE RACE FOR SENATE SEAT
The battle for the state's open Senate seat is of great importance in determining which party will control Congress for the remainder of Trump's term. Democrats need to hold the seat, while Republicans need to win it. As Election Day approaches, the picture remains uncertain.
On one side of the race is Democratic physician Abdul El-Sayed, who, if elected, would become the country's first Muslim senator. El-Sayed has repeatedly described Israel's military operation in Gaza, launched after the attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7, 2023, as “genocide.” Israel strongly rejects this claim. El-Sayed narrowly edged out a pro-Israel Democratic candidate in the primary.
TRUMP-BACKED ROGERS: AID SHOULD NOT BE CUT
El-Sayed's Republican rival Mike Rogers is a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who served 14 years in the House of Representatives. Rogers, backed by Trump, opposes cutting US military aid to Israel on national security grounds.
Both candidates emphasized that American taxpayers' money is being used to finance the conflict. According to Brown University's Costs of War project, US military aid to Israel reached an estimated $21 billion by September 2025.
ARAB AND JEWISH VOTERS WERE THE DEMOCRATIC BASE
Michigan is the state with the highest proportion of Arab American population in the US. Jewish voters living in the state also strongly support Israel. Both groups have historically been seen as among the Democratic Party's most important voter bases.
However, in 2024, some Arab and Muslim voters disappointed with the Democrats' Middle East policy organized an “uncommitted” campaign. In reaction to then-President Joe Biden's “unwavering” support for Israel, more than 100,000 people withdrew their support in the primaries.
“I WAS VERY ANGRY”
After Kamala Harris became the presidential candidate, her promise to continue this policy created a sense of betrayal among voters like Luqman. Luqman said, “I have never voted for any party other than the Democrats in my life. I was very angry. It was not just that they did not call for a ceasefire or try to stop the genocide. What made me really angry was that they came out and said, ‘We have done nothing wrong. We will continue our policies in the same way.’”
Luqman, who then joined the wave of Muslim voters supporting Trump, said, “I did not just vote; I campaigned for him too.” Luqman, who now identifies as a Republican, nevertheless enthusiastically supports El-Sayed's Senate candidacy.
“WE CREATED A REVOLUTION WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY”
Arab American voter Amer Zahar, however, argued that the Democratic Party's embrace of a pro-Palestinian candidate like El-Sayed was only possible thanks to the shocking warning delivered by the 2024 elections. Zahar said, “The Democratic Party does not always speak to me; I think it cannot be said that it has always spoken to our community either.”
Zahar said, “We needed to create a revolution within the Democratic Party; in 2024, that is exactly what we did. After this revolution and the victories won by candidates sensitive to the Palestinian issue, we now feel much more ‘at home.’”
“FEAR OF ABANDONMENT” AMONG JEWISH VOTERS
Although the changing balance within the party has responded to the concerns of many Arab Americans, another group now voices the fear of being abandoned. Some voters question El-Sayed's will to protect the Jewish community in a time of crisis.
After the violent attack on Temple Israel Synagogue in March, El-Sayed said, “Hurt people hurt people.” It was stated that the attacker had lost relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon. El-Sayed later apologized and said he was not trying to justify the attack. However, this statement did not completely end the debate.
“WE FEEL HE HAS PUT OUR SAFETY AT RISK”
Aaron Starr, president of the Michigan Board of Rabbis, said, “This really hurt us,” and announced that he would not vote for El-Sayed. In a statement to the BBC, Starr said, “The vast majority of our community voted Democratic, and now we feel that the words and actions of some candidates within the Democratic Party—not all, but some—have put our safety at risk.”
Like some Muslim Democrats in Michigan in 2024, some staunchly Democratic Jewish voters say they will now vote for the Republican candidate or not vote at all.
UNCERTAIN WHETHER TO VOTE FOR FORMER CLASSMATE
Jordan Acker, a University of Michigan regent and lawyer, said, “I am a Democrat, but above all I must believe that the person I vote for respects me, my political views and my existence.”
Acker, who said he has known El-Sayed for 20 years and that they went to university together, said he is not sure whether he will vote for his former classmate. Acker said, “In Abdul's worldview, Jews can be accepted as individuals but not as a people. And to me, that is extremely concerning.”
“ANTI-JEWISH” AND “ISLAMOPHOBIA” ACCUSATIONS
Republican candidate Rogers is trying to win the support of Jewish voters in the state by emphasizing that he is a strong friend of Israel. Rogers described El-Sayed as “anti-Jewish.”
Rogers’ critics, meanwhile, accuse him of fueling Islamophobia by trying to portray his opponent as someone sympathetic to radical Islam.
Rogers and Trump claimed that El-Sayed, whose family immigrated from Egypt, had links to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed, for his part, repeatedly stated that he did not approve of this group and denied the claim that he had any connection to it.
“ALL MINORITIES MUST BE DEFENDED”
According to a significant portion of voters, the heated campaign fueled not only partisan divisions but also racial and ethnic tensions. Jewish voter David Freund, who supports El-Sayed, does not think this tension will be permanent.
Freund said, “To ensure the security of all minorities, all minorities must be defended. Jewish security cannot be ensured by placing it in a separate category called ‘Jewish security.’ This is part of a broader issue concerning everyone’s democratic rights.”
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