Michigan Senate Race: Obama Rallies in Detroit for El-Sayed

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at a rally in Detroit on Saturday, the first day of early voting in Michigan. The event took place at Cass Technical High School ahead of the November 3 general election. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic candidate for governor, also spoke to the crowd.

Obama told the audience that El-Sayed would finish the work begun by the Affordable Care Act. He argued that the nominee aims to guarantee quality, affordable healthcare for every American. The former president said El-Sayed is fighting to get money out of politics and into voters' pockets.

In a direct attack on the incumbent administration, Obama accused President Donald Trump of enriching himself and his family. He claimed the White House has created a culture of taking favors at the top. Obama also mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for focusing on the physical appearance of troops rather than their readiness.

The former president targeted Trump’s tariff policies, noting that Canada was the primary target. He joked that Canada provided the United States with maple syrup and the comedian Martin Short. Obama also criticized Trump’s White House renovations, comparing the aesthetic to a Cheesecake Factory.

The rally was the first in-person stop of Obama’s midterm campaigning tour, which began earlier that day in Cleveland, Ohio. There, he supported former Senator Sherrod Brown and Governor nominee Amy Acton. Questions about Obama’s endorsement lingered because El-Sayed previously called the Affordable Care Act an incremental fix. Obama acknowledged their differences, stating that they do not agree on every detail.

El-Sayed faces a tight race in Wayne County, where he trails in the polls. In the August primary, he lost in that county to Haley Stevens by a margin of roughly 6 percentage points. El-Sayed, a doctor and former Wayne County health official, defeated Stevens in the primary despite establishment opposition. The Cook Political Report rates the statewide race a toss-up.

Polling data from mid-October shows the contest is close. A Marist poll of likely voters placed El-Sayed at 50 percent and Republican challenger Mike Rogers at 48 percent. RealClearPolitics averages show El-Sayed leading by approximately 2.6 points. Rogers, a former congressman endorsed by Trump, lost a 2024 Senate race by less than half a percentage point.

El-Sayed is facing criticism from both sides. Trump has called him a jihadist, citing his middle name and alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed denies. El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny within his own party over appearances with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim and first Egyptian American to serve in the U.S. Senate.