The Democratic Party’s Senate primary in Michigan has generated historic excitement in Dearborn, home to the nation’s largest Arab American community. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit Health Director, is drawing intense interest from local voters despite the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC spending over $50 million in favor of Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
El-Sayed, who has the backing of progressive figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, promises to invest in local communities rather than funding foreign wars. The candidate’s recognition of Israel’s attacks on Gaza as genocide has resonated strongly, particularly among Arab American voters.
AIPAC’s Record Spending and the Opponent
Her opponent, Haley Stevens, has served in Congress since 2018 and is known for her strong support for Israel. In 2024, Stevens voted with Republicans on a bill that would bar the State Department from using the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. In a speech, she emphasized her commitment by saying, 'Israel enters my dreams.'
AIPAC spent record-breaking sums to support Stevens in the primary. The group had also poured millions into Stevens’ campaign in 2022 to defeat a progressive Jewish candidate in the same district. El-Sayed supporters argue that this shows Stevens’ dependence on large donors.
Community’s Emotional Mobilization
At a rally held at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn, state Senate candidate Abbas Alawieh said, 'Bint Jbail is currently being destroyed house by house by the Israeli army, ethnic cleansing is taking place. This is not just a distant place; it is exactly where we are sitting. The residents of the houses outside have families on the other side.'
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud called on the community to use its political power: 'I understand that some are indifferent to the political system, but it is our duty to participate in the democratic process. We must use our voting power and choose candidates who fight for working families.'
Racism and Smear Campaigns
The election process has been marred by instances of anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia. An official in the Detroit suburb of Farmington was forced to apologize for saying, 'Don’t come out speaking only Arabic, don’t come with Arab music.' Some AIPAC and Stevens supporters tried to portray El-Sayed as 'sexist'; critics described this move as an attempt to exploit stereotypes about Arab men.
Stevens accused El-Sayed of antisemitism, while Democratic Representative Hillary Scholten criticized the candidate for campaigning with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, calling it 'fueling anti-American sentiment' and implying she would not support him in the general election. Representative Ilhan Omar responded to these claims at the Dearborn rally: 'Believing that healthcare is a human right and that affordable housing is possible is not anti-American.'
The Republican Party’s Senate campaign arm released a video highlighting El-Sayed’s full name, 'Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed,' in an attempt to portray him as foreign. El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan, said he does not care about these attacks and that voters are more interested in his policies than his name.
