Michigan’s Senate Primary Becomes a Referendum on Democratic Foreign Policy

The Abdul El-Sayed Michigan Senate campaign has turned Tuesday’s Democratic primary into something larger than a state contest. It has become the clearest test yet of whether the party’s traditional posture on Israel can survive a shift in its own electorate, and whether record-breaking outside spending can override grassroots energy.

In Dearborn, the Detroit suburb often described as the capital of Arab America, that question is not abstract.

Grief as Political Motivation

Suehaila Amen, a longtime local activist, struggles to speak about southern Lebanon without her voice breaking. She describes a community carrying shock, pain and exhaustion after nearly three years of war and destruction across Palestine and Lebanon.

Her connection is direct. She lived in Bint Jbail, one of the border towns Israeli forces have leveled, and she calls it her ancestral homeland. What she hears from people around her is a sense of being disregarded, a feeling that their lives are treated as unimportant.

Amid that, she has found encouragement in the emergence of candidates nationwide calling for an end to US backing for Israel.

She sees El-Sayed’s potential win as more than a single race. She described the prospect of watching what she called AIPAC’s supposed empire collapse as spectacular, and said a victory Tuesday would be historic. Her argument is that candidates should place American constituents first, and that a win would demonstrate to the world that alignment with Israeli interests is not universal.

The Candidate and His Pitch

El-Sayed is a physician and public health specialist who previously directed Detroit’s health department. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, then worked as a political commentator and prominent advocate for universal healthcare.

He took over the Wayne County Department of Health in 2023 and stepped away last year to run for Senate.

Endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other leading progressives established him quickly as the primary’s left-flank candidate.

His central framing is domestic. He argues the United States has poured excessive resources into conflicts serving Israeli interests, including the war on Iran, and that those funds belong at home addressing healthcare access and housing affordability. He has described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as genocide.

The Money Against Him

The financial picture is lopsided. Pro-Israel organizations, AIPAC among them, have directed more than $50 million toward supporting his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens.

That figure represents record primary spending for the group, though the strategy is familiar. In 2022, AIPAC invested millions to help Stevens defeat Andy Levin, a progressive Jewish labor organizer, after redistricting forced the two Democrats into the same seat.

A Rally Rooted in a Village

At a Friday evening rally in Dearborn, the mention of AIPAC drew boos each time.

Abbas Alawieh, running for the Michigan state Senate, drew attention to the venue itself, the Bint Jebail Cultural Center. He told the crowd he grew up three minutes away and that Bint Jbail is his mother’s village.

He described Israeli forces moving house by house through the town and said they had recently destroyed the school where his grandfather served as principal for years, the same school his mother and uncles attended.

His point was about proximity rather than distance. He told the audience that Bint Jbail is not far away, that it exists right where they were sitting, in the homes outside filled with families connected to relatives on the other side.

Alawieh argued El-Sayed would be accountable to constituents rather than lobbying organizations, and tied that to policy outcomes, saying the power exists to deliver universal healthcare and a future without endless wars, beginning in Michigan.

Dearborn Organizes

Community leaders across Dearborn have been urging residents to convert frustration into participation, arguing that both major parties have shown indifference. Storefronts throughout the city display signs reading small business for Abdul.

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud acknowledged that apathy toward the political system is understandable given how things have unfolded, but said participation remains an obligation. He emphasized turning out voters and electing candidates throughout the ballot who will fight for working families and hold values applicable globally.

City Council Member Kamal Alsawafy framed the race in economic terms, saying support for El-Sayed means protecting working families and directing tax dollars toward repairing deteriorating roads at home rather than destroying homes abroad. He described it as a question of priorities.

Where Stevens Stands

Stevens has accused El-Sayed of concentrating disproportionately on foreign policy while presenting herself as a practical legislator who produces results, characterizing her opponent as an online personality trading in slogans.

Her record on Israel is firmly supportive. In 2024 she joined House Republicans in voting to prohibit the State Department from citing Gaza health officials’ death toll figures. This month she voted against an effort to halt funding for Israel.

A remark from a 2023 Hanukkah menorah lighting has become emblematic of her position, in which she spoke of Israel appearing in her dreams and expressed certainty about its continued existence for the Jewish people.

She carries endorsements from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, among other prominent Democrats.

El-Sayed has countered by questioning her effectiveness and casting her as answerable to donors, contrasting that with a campaign he describes as volunteer-driven.

Accusations Flying in Both Directions

The primary is unfolding alongside rising anti-Arab hostility and Islamophobia. While much of it has originated with right-wing figures, El-Sayed’s supporters contend some Democrats have edged toward similar territory.

Angie Smith, an official in Farmington, apologized this week after facing racism accusations for comments urging people not to appear speaking only Arabic or playing Arabic music, and to represent everyone.

AIPAC and Stevens allies have worked to characterize El-Sayed’s criticism of the congresswoman as sexist, an effort his backers argue exploits stereotypes about Arab men.

Stevens herself drew anger for a Thursday post suggesting El-Sayed blames problems on Jewish Americans.

Rep. Hillary Scholten indicated she might not support El-Sayed in a general election, claiming he enables anti-American sentiment by appearing with streamer Hasan Piker.

Rep. Ilhan Omar responded at the Dearborn rally, saying nothing is anti-American about believing healthcare is a human right, that housing should be affordable, or that government should serve working people rather than billionaires.

Republicans Are Already Engaged

The National Republican Senatorial Committee posted video Friday of El-Sayed stating his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, framing it as a socialist finally introducing himself.

El-Sayed was born and raised in Michigan, and Abdul is simply the shortened form of Abdulrahman.

He has waved off such attacks, saying months of campaigning showed him voters care about policy rather than his background. He noted that people ask what he prays for rather than how he prays, and care less about his name than whether he remembers theirs.

Hammoud said El-Sayed has grown used to it, adding that the response is to participate fully in American public life, run campaigns and support candidates, as the way to demonstrate belonging.

What Tuesday Determines

Polling has favored El-Sayed over Stevens. The winner faces former Rep. Mike Rogers, unopposed in the Republican primary, in a race Democrats consider essential to retaking Senate control in November.