Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed became involved in a tense exchange with a British journalist on election day, placing his hands on the reporter’s shoulders and saying he had no interest in answering questions from someone unable to vote in Michigan.
The confrontation took place Tuesday as El-Sayed prepared for a pivotal contest against Republican Mike Rogers in one of the midterm elections’ most closely watched Senate races.
El-Sayed grew visibly irritated while speaking with Sky News US correspondent James Matthews, accusing the journalist of repeatedly following him.
“Are you registered to vote in the state of Michigan?” El-Sayed asked.
After Matthews confirmed that he was not, El-Sayed replied: “Then why would I care to have a conversation with you?”
Matthews said he was covering an election whose impact extended well beyond Michigan, arguing that the outcome “matters to the world.”
El-Sayed, however, remained dismissive.
“You know how many votes I want to get into the UK? Zero,” El-Sayed said. “I do not care what you think or the questions you ask.”
Abdul El-Sayed placed both hands on Sky News reporter James Matthews’ shoulders during the tense election-day exchange and accused him of “chasing” him.
As the encounter intensified, El-Sayed placed both hands on Matthews’ shoulders.
“I’m asking you to stop chasing me around,” he said before walking away.
The exchange was recorded and published by Sky News, creating a dramatic final-day distraction for a candidate already facing upheaval within his party.
El-Sayed, 41, is seeking to defeat Rogers, a former Republican congressman endorsed by President Donald Trump, for the Senate seat being left open by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
The contest carries major significance as Democrats try to win back control of the Senate, with Michigan considered one of the states the party cannot afford to surrender.
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The clash came only two days after El-Sayed’s former Democratic primary rival, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, shocked party leaders by endorsing Rogers.
Stevens narrowly lost to El-Sayed in August. On Sunday, she announced her support for the Republican following a bitter dispute over her role in El-Sayed’s campaign.
Her decision followed her exclusion from a planned unity event featuring El-Sayed.
El-Sayed had placed both hands on Matthews’ shoulders as the increasingly tense exchange unfolded.
The exchange, recorded and shared by Sky News, became a dramatic final-day distraction for a candidate already dealing with turmoil inside his party.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed visited a polling precinct on the University of Michigan campus Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
El-Sayed is challenging GOP candidate Mike Rogers for the open US Senate seat.
Instead of backing the Democratic nominee, Stevens appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church before publicly endorsing him.
The move sent shockwaves through Michigan’s Democratic establishment and drew sharp condemnation from party leaders.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was among those who criticized Stevens, while her longtime chief of staff resigned after the endorsement was announced.
The Michigan Democratic Party later expelled Stevens, escalating a bitter primary rivalry into an election-eve crisis.
El-Sayed entered election day leading in several major polls, though surveys varied considerably in their estimates of his advantage.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted through November 1 showed El-Sayed ahead of Rogers, 53 percent to 42 percent.
Other surveys pointed to a far tighter race, including a Trafalgar Group poll that placed the candidates just one percentage point apart.
