Democrats fear weak Black turnout could tighten El-Sayed's Michigan Senate race

Two weeks before the midterms, some Black leaders in Detroit and Flint worry that soft enthusiasm for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed could hand an opening to Republican Mike Rogers, CNN reports. Barack Obama is due to rally with El-Sayed in Detroit on Saturday.

With two weeks to go before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Democrats in Michigan are increasingly focused on a question that could decide one of the country's most closely watched Senate races: whether Black voters will turn out in force for their nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, CNN reported.

El-Sayed, a doctor and former public health official born and raised in Michigan to parents who immigrated from Egypt, won the August primary over Rep. Haley Stevens by just 1 percentage point. His victory rested on strong support from Arab American and Muslim communities, young voters and progressives in college towns, while Black voters in and around Detroit largely backed Stevens. "It only takes this much of Detroit to defect. It only takes this much of Flint to defect," said the Rev. Charles Williams II, a Detroit pastor.

Rogers courts Detroit

The Detroit skyline seen from across the river

Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman, has made winning over traditionally Democratic voters a centerpiece of his closing campaign. He opened an office on Detroit's Livernois Avenue and has promoted plans for new housing construction, high school apprenticeships and an end to "food deserts" in the city. El-Sayed brushed off the effort, calling it "a cute little office" and describing Rogers as "a rubber stamp" for President Donald Trump.

More than $280 million has been spent on television advertising in Michigan this election cycle. Attack ads have focused on El-Sayed's background and faith, and Trump has repeatedly mocked his name. "My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your gas," El-Sayed told supporters at a rally in Flint.

Party heavyweights step in

To shore up support, former President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend a rally in Detroit on Saturday with El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia have also campaigned or are set to campaign with him, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently transferred $1 million to his campaign, according to reports.

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