Jewish voters in Detroit who have traditionally supported Democrats told Our News Outlet they are shifting their allegiance to Republicans in this year’s midterm elections.
Voter Shlomi Bennett said Tuesday morning that he plans to vote for Republican Mike Rogers because he has “serious concerns” about Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s “response to antisemitism.”
“I’m particularly troubled by what I see as his failure to clearly condemn ads that Jewish voters have called antisemitic, as well as his associations with controversial figures such as Hasan Piker and Tucker Carlson,” Bennett said.
Bennett supported Haley Stevens over El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. He said Stevens’ surprise endorsement of Rogers on Sunday reflected “a serious divide” in American politics.
The latest New York Times/Siena University poll puts El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Rogers, with 53 percent support compared with Rogers’ 42 percent.
Stevens had repeatedly criticized El-Sayed over his comments on Israel and his association with controversial streamer Hasan Piker. She also demanded that El-Sayed apologize for remarks she said unfairly blamed Jewish Americans for the country’s problems.
She further called on him to explicitly reject Piker’s rhetoric, describing it as deeply disturbing.
After facing backlash, El-Sayed released a statement reaffirming his commitment to protecting Jewish Americans. He said his concern for their safety was equal to his concern for the safety of his own daughters.
Jewish voters in Detroit told Our News Outlet they are leaving the Democratic Party and backing Mike Rogers in this year’s midterm election
Haley Stevens repeatedly criticized El-Sayed over his comments on Israel and ties to controversial streamer Hasan Piker before endorsing Mike Rogers on Sunday
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed visits a polling site during the US midterm elections in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 3, 2026
He described antisemitism as a “scourge” and said he opposed any rhetoric that could place the Jewish community at risk.
However, El-Sayed stopped short of naming Piker or directly condemning his comments. Instead, he said that no one spoke for his campaign other than himself and his official spokespeople.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin also described Stevens’ decision to cross party lines as “courageous.”
“Whether or not you agree with Rep. Haley Stevens’ endorsement of Mike Rogers, everyone should respect the courage it took for her to defy her party and take what she believes is a principled stand,” he said.
“Such courage—at great cost to her political career—is all too rare in today’s political world. In general, I hope we learn to respect one another’s decisions without demonizing positions with which we disagree.”
Still, religion is not shaping every voter’s decision.
Some voters told Our News Outlet that El-Sayed’s appearance is helping win their support.
Tracy Grasy, 60, said she had previously voted for El-Sayed’s opponent, Mike Rogers.
“I mean, he’s not a bad-looking man. He really isn’t! He just isn’t!” Grasy said of El-Sayed.
“He’s easy on the eyes, and he’s educated. That’s even better!”
First-time voter Meilyn Rodriguez, 18, said she also planned to vote for El-Sayed because he “just seems right for the people.”
Rodriguez said she and her friends had watched TikTok videos about El-Sayed and seen people say they were “voting for him because he’s hot.”
“Like, mostly just because he’s hot,” she said.
“But I’m not really doing that. I’d just rather not vote for the other guy.”
El-Sayed’s support is strongest among younger voters. He has used TikTok to his advantage through clever skits and trending sounds, helping him build a national following.
Polling indicates that younger voters back him at significantly higher rates than older generations.
An August EPIC-MRA survey found that El-Sayed had the support of 62 percent of voters aged 18 to 34, compared with 36 percent among those aged 50 to 64.
Among voters aged 65 and older, Rogers held a narrow lead.
