Abdul El-Sayed Faces Declining Support Among Michigan Black Voters, Attempts to Shore Up Base
The Democratic Senate nominee's campaign is showing lower support among Black voters compared to past Democratic candidates, prompting efforts like a recent appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is experiencing a notable decline in support among Michigan's Black electorate, a key demographic in the state's politics. Recent polling indicates a downward trend for El-Sayed, raising concerns for his campaign strategiists.
A Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted from September 10-14 found that only 67% of likely Black Michigan voters supported El-Sayed. This figure represents a decrease from a Fox News poll in early August, which showed 75% support. For comparison, Vice President Kamala Harris secured 87% of the Black vote in Michigan in 2020, highlighting El-Sayed's underperformance relative to recent Democratic presidential nominees.
El-Sayed has acknowledged existing mistrust between segments of Detroit's Black and Arab communities, a complex issue he has addressed directly. He has previously stated that some business owners in Arab and Muslim communities have engaged in practices that do not reinvest money into local communities, a sentiment he has been discussing with those communities. "We can’t sit here and talk about racism against Arabs and Muslims unless we’re willing to actually look inward and ask how is it that we’re engaging with the Black community in a way that is responsible?" El-Sayed said in an interview with The Grio in August 2026.
In an effort to bolster support, El-Sayed recently campaigned with Vice President Harris at an event targeting Black women. During the event, Harris discussed the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, linking them to maternal care, particularly for Black women. The effectiveness of this campaign stop in shifting voter sentiment remains to be seen.
El-Sayed has also engaged with the concept of reparations, stating in an interview with Jesse Watters that an "incredible debt" owed to Black people from the era of slavery has yet to be paid. He also told leaders of the Black church that "unpaid debts" are owed to Black communities. While reparations poll favorably among Black Americans, the issue is less popular with white voters, potentially alienating moderate independent voters wary of El-Sayed's more progressive stances.
Adding to the campaign's challenges are El-Sayed's past associations, including his ties to streamer Hasan Piker, which have reportedly alienated some Jewish Democrats. El-Sayed's primary opponent, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, garnered significant Black voter support in the primary. Republican nominee Mike Rogers is reportedly making efforts to appeal to Black voters in Wayne County and with "Democrats for Rogers" groups.
Despite these challenges, some polls have indicated El-Sayed holding a lead over Rogers, though past polling misses in the primary have raised questions about their reliability. The El-Sayed campaign is working to unify a fractured Democratic coalition ahead of the November election.