Politics · United States · 8 hrs ago
Poll finds El-Sayed won half of Michigan’s Jewish vote
Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
A poll of 883 Jewish voters in Michigan found that half backed El-Sayed, while 43% voted for Republican Mike Rogers.
In the state’s governor’s race, Democrat Jocelyn Benson won 69% of the Jewish vote, 19 points more than El-Sayed.
The result stood out because most Jewish voters in the survey identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic, and El-Sayed ran behind other Democrats in the poll’s comparisons with 2024 votes.
His campaign faced criticism over his positions on Israel and comments after an attempted attack on Temple Israel, a synagogue near Detroit.
Among Jewish Democrats who opposed him, 98% said they would likely have chosen another Democrat if one had run.
The survey, conducted for the Jewish Majority by Mercury Public Affairs, has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
Democrats won control of the House and Senate by wide margins in the US midterm elections, according to the Guardian.
Voters were angered by the cost of living, the war in Iran and other issues, while organizers said years of coalition-building helped turn frustration into votes.
The results have prompted debate over whether Democrats will act on voters’ demands and whether the party itself will change.
A survey found Abdul El-Sayed received 50% of Michigan’s Jewish vote, below other Democratic candidates in the state.
Commentators disagreed over whether the election signalled a broader shift in party politics or left the Democratic establishment largely unchanged.
- Who
- Democrats, voters and organizers were central to the midterm results and their aftermath.
- What
- Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress by wide margins, prompting debate about what voters wanted and what the party will do next.
- When
- The midterm elections took place last week; the articles were published on November 12 and 13, 2026.
- Where
- The United States, including Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed won a Senate seat.
- Why
- Voters were angry about the cost of living, the war in Iran and other issues; organizers said coalition-building helped turn frustration into votes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Donald Trump won the presidential election, leaving many Democratic voters discouraged, according to the Guardian.
Democrats won control of the House and Senate by wide margins in the midterm elections, according to the Guardian.
Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race, according to the Times of Israel.
The follow-up interviews for the Michigan Jewish-voter survey finished.
The Jewish Majority survey was released.
- Democratic gains
- Control of the House and Senate by wide margins
- Michigan Jewish vote
- 50% backed Abdul El-Sayed; 43% backed Mike Rogers
- Michigan Jewish-voter survey
- 883 respondents; margin of error of 3.9 percentage points
- Gubernatorial race
- Jocelyn Benson won 69% of the Jewish vote in Michigan
- Jewish Democrats opposing El-Sayed
- 98% said they would likely have voted for a different Democratic candidate
4 sources
El-Sayed won 50% of Jewish vote but underperformed compared to other Democrats, poll finds
Democrats won big in the US midterms. Now, organizers want them to deliver
Midterm, perché le aspirazioni dei cittadini Usa che hanno votato Dem saranno disattese
Labour applauds in America what it condemns at home
What people are saying
Elections themselves don’t achieve what it is that people want.
One thing is clear: the work of protecting our democracy doesn’t begin or end with this election.
People are more engaged than ever before.
I don’t believe in ethno-states.