Michigan Trump Voters Shift to Democrat Abdul El‑Sayed Ahead of Senate Race Michigan voters who voted for Trump in 2024 are now backing Democrat Abdul El‑Sayed for the U.S. Senate seat, reflecting a shifting coalition in a close race Some voters in Michigan that helped elect former President Donald Trump in 2024 are now planning to vote for a Democrat named Abdul El‑Sayed in the upcoming United States Senate race, a shift that could be significant in a contest where the polls are close. Trump Voters Back Abdul El-Sayed In MichiganA number of those voters live in Dearborn, a city that is majority Arab American and voted strongly for Trump two years ago largely because of anger over U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza. Those residents told The Washington Post that El‑Sayed is now the one who carries the banner of "America First" in a way that they feel better represents their interests.El‑Sayed, a physician and former director of public health for Wayne County, is running against Republican former Representative Mike Rogers for the Senate seat that Democratic Senator Gary Peters is vacating. If elected, El‑Sayed would become the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.Michigan has not sent a Republican to the Senate since 1994, although Rogers nearly broke that streak in 2024, losing to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by a single percentage point on the same night that Trump carried the state. Newsweek attempted to obtain comments from both campaigns via email but did not receive responses. In recent polling, El‑Sayed has led every major public survey released in the last two weeks, most of them by margins within the error range.One poll, conducted by the Glengariff Group for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV, surveyed 600 likely voters from October 19 to 22 and found El‑Sayed ahead 51 percent to 45 percent, with four percent undecided. The poll indicated that independents-whose support is often a decisive factor-were split 45.5 percent to 40 percent in favor of El‑Sayed.El-Sayed Leads Rogers In Latest PollsAnother survey by Marist University, which polled 1,185 likely voters from October 15 to 18, had the race at 50 percent for El‑Sayed and 48 percent for Rogers. A poll from InsiderAdvantage, surveying 1,200 likely voters on October 21 and 22, placed El‑Sayed up a point at 47 percent versus 46 percent for Rogers, with four minor‑party candidates each at about one percent.A longer‑duration survey by the Michigan State University Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, conducted with YouGov from October 2 to 19, also had El‑Sayed ahead 48 percent to 46 percent among 836 likely voters. Why Are Trump Voters Switching to El‑Sayed? In 2024, Trump captured roughly 42 percent of the vote in Dearborn, surpassing then Vice President Kamala Harris in a city that Democrats had often counted as safe.The Green Party's Jill Stein received approximately 18 percent, much of it a protest vote over Gaza. Among Arab Americans nationwide, public opinion has been shifting. A poll conducted by the Washington Post and the Schar School of Policy and Governance found that about 58 percent now support Democrats for Congress, after the group had previously split evenly between Trump and Harris.Two‑thirds of Arab Americans who had voted for Trump still approve of his job performance overall, but 54 percent disapprove of the U.S. stance on the war in Gaza. The Post interviewed three Dearborn residents who voted for Trump in 2024 and are now backing El‑Sayed. They said the president failed to end wars in Lebanon and Yemen and could not reduce prices. Mustapha El‑Jaroudi, a two‑time Trump voter, said Rogers would put Israel first.Donors Support El-Sayed Over Mike RogersNone of the interviewees regretted their Trump vote, but all said El‑Sayed now best reflects "America First." Campaign Finance Evidence Is Also Clear. Review of federal election commission filings by Newsweek shows where Dearborn's donors are directing their money. Between mid‑July and September, donors in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights gave El‑Sayed roughly 131,000 dollars in itemized contributions from 212 individuals. Rogers received 11 donors from the same cities totaling about 9,100 dollars over the same period.After the primary, Dearborn‑area donors gave El‑Sayed about 45,700 dollars in July, ahead of his August 4 primary win, and around 45,000 dollars in September, as the general election campaign gained momentum. Donors included physicians, pharmacists, attorneys, small business owners, and a city councilman from Dearborn Heights. El‑Sayed's campaign has sought to appeal to these voters.El-Sayed Campaigns On Energy Costs And AdsOne of his television ads was shown only on Fox News and Newsmax and stitched together clips of conservative hosts such as Tucker Carlson and Jesse Watters praising his performance. On the campaign trail, El‑Sayed blames Trump's war with Iran for rising energy costs, noting that the average price of unleaded gasoline rose from about 2.88 dollars a year ago to 4.59 dollars this month, according to AAA Michigan figures cited by The Detroit News. Recent Developments.On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continued to raise concerns about El‑Sayed's faith. While campaigning in Grand Rapids for Rogers and Republican Governor‑candidate John James, Kennedy remarked that "talking about the Muslim Brotherhood is not Islamophobia" and then addressed Arabs as a whole, saying that there are 500 million Arabs worldwide. This reflects the broader national debate over Islam, immigration, and American politics that will continue to shape the Senate race in Michigan.The race remains highly relevant, with potential implications for the balance of power in Washington. A popular Democratic candidate such as El‑Sayed could maintain or even extend the Democratic advantage, but a narrow loss would intensify the importance of voter mobilization and fundraising in the last days before the election.