Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is scheduled to campaign Sunday in Detroit alongside former primary rival U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, marking their first public appearance together in months as the party works to heal lingering primary divisions. The two Democrats will be joined by South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn at a get-out-the-vote event hosted at a Detroit church, according to individuals familiar with the planning who were not authorized to speak publicly. The joint appearance follows a Democratic unity breakfast held shortly after the August 4 primary, which El-Sayed won by a narrow margin. Party leaders have spent weeks trying to solidify support behind El-Sayed, particularly given Stevens’ strong backing among Jewish and Black voters during the primary contest. Tensions within the party resurfaced when Stevens’ fiance, Jason Turkish, announced plans to vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Shortly after, Stevens appeared on a cable news broadcast to reaffirm her support for El-Sayed while urging his campaign to address community concerns more directly. Turkish and other members of Michigan’s Jewish community have expressed apprehension regarding El-Sayed’s past remarks and associations, arguing that insufficient effort has been made to address their concerns. Friction was further exacerbated by an outside political action committee advertisement linking U.S. support for Israel to domestic grocery prices. El-Sayed distanced his campaign from the commercial, stating it was unrelated to his platform, though Stevens and other party figures urged him to issue a stronger denunciation. The campaign also faced criticism from some Jewish voters over an independent digital ad featuring supportive commentary from conservative media figures. Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the outside committee ad and the candidate’s promotional spot during a call with reporters, noting heightened tensions in the final week of the race. On the Republican side, Mike Rogers has campaigned alongside high-profile surrogates, appearing at a Port Huron rally with former President Donald Trump and attending an event in Birmingham hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition alongside Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz criticized Democrats during the appearance, while Trump has repeatedly attacked El-Sayed’s Muslim faith on the campaign trail. Both major party campaigns are intensely courting Black voters, particularly in Wayne County, where Stevens outperformed El-Sayed in the primary. El-Sayed’s Sunday appearance with Clyburn is part of a broader push to secure turnout in Detroit, where his campaign has focused much of its final schedule. Rogers has similarly targeted working-class and minority communities, conducting outreach events in Detroit and Pontiac. That outreach has faced skepticism from some residents, including Detroit retiree Ruby Farmer, who criticized a recent campaign handout event at a local gas station. Despite minor difficulties with pronunciation, Farmer confirmed she cast her ballot for El-Sayed weeks ago, citing concerns over proposed policy changes and Medicaid reductions that directly impact her special-needs son.
