I am voting for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in the November 2026 election for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat. In fact, I’ll cast my absentee ballot for him on September 24, 2026.
El-Sayed is a traditional progressive liberal. He is also, as I’ve described in earlier posts, something of a hatemonger. To be fair, I wouldn’t call him a leader of hate - more an “average” Muslim hater. But the choice before us is El-Sayed versus Mike Rogers, and on that choice El-Sayed is the far better candidate, even for those of us who are proud Jews.
Here is why it’s not close. Trump is not merely the worst president in our history; he is a major enemy of the civilized world. Rogers will be his Trumpworm, his sock puppet, his butt-kisser, call it what you like. He may well be the deciding vote that pushes Trump’s evil and insanity further. El-Sayed, by contrast, will oppose Trump. It really is that simple.
Yes, El-Sayed’s hostility toward Israel worries me. But he would be one of only a handful of senators holding that view, so while it will be irritating, I expect it will rarely be dispositive. And I believe, over time, he will moderate.
I’ve written to El-Sayed asking him to end the hatred. I’ve gotten no response, but I’ll keep pressing him, and other prominent Muslims, to speak out against it. Perhaps his candidacy will actually raise the level of that conversation. Muslim hatred of Israel and of Jews does no good for Muslims; if anything, it turns people against them. For their own sake, they should work to minimize it.
I’m not alone in concluding that Jews and their allies should back El-Sayed.
Jack Lessenberry writes:
Mike Rogers has sold his soul and indicates that he has signed on for every evil and stupid thing Trump wants or says. Do you know what will happen if Trump has a senate majority for his last two years?
. . .
You do the best you can, and nobody in history has known that better than the Jews.
The Jewish Forward has run a favorable piece on El-Sayed.
And The Contrarian appears to be in his corner as well:
Focusing on widely popular, unifying themes and forcing Republicans to defend Trump’s toxic record will be the key to success in Michigan and elsewhere. If El-Sayed does emerge the winner and maintains that focus, Democrats will prevail in Michigan, go a long way toward securing a Senate majority, and set the groundwork for victory in 2028, which is essential to recapturing our democracy from the clutches of a fascist, corrupt MAGA regime.
I try to act like an adult, and I hope you will too. That means picking the best available choice, and in this race El-Sayed is markedly better than Rogers. I am voting for him and supporting him, and I urge every Jew in Michigan, and every other registered voter, to do the same.
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