Abdul El-Sayed heads into the Michigan Senate vote with a record $2.4m haul after fellow Democrat Haley Stevens backed the Republican
Abdullah Hammoud, the Democratic Mayor of Dearborn, whose city's Black pastors voiced fury after Haley Stevens appeared at church alongside Republican Mike Rogers two days before Election Day.
Over 65,000 donors poured money into El-Sayed's campaign on Sunday — the day Rep. Haley Stevens appeared at a Detroit church alongside Republican Mike Rogers and endorsed him — with nearly half the contributions coming from first-time donors at an average of $37 each. Bruce Springsteen publicly backed El-Sayed after the defection, calling him 'a fighter for our American Constitution' against 'corrupt, lawless, anti-American leadership in the White House.' Senator Elizabeth Warren and Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield joined El-Sayed's closing rally at the Majestic Theater before at least 650 supporters, with rapper Common performing.
Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell says Stevens' move 'galvanised' Black pastors, calling it a backlash.
El-Sayed leads Rogers by more than 10 points — 53 to 42 — in the latest New York Times/Siena poll of Michigan.
Stevens' office staff resigned en masse after her endorsement; Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel called her move an abandonment of 'everything she claims to care about.'
