Michigan's Arab voters could be key to whether Democrats retain a Senate seat in November, according to NBC News.
The party's nominee will be decided in the Aug. 4 primary.
Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate who has represented Michigan's 11th Congressional District since 2019 after working on the Obama administration's auto industry rescue following the 2008 financial crisis, is facing progressive Abdul El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants and a physician, former professor, and public health official.
Stevens has emphasized manufacturing, organized labor, economic growth, and protecting abortion access. She has been endorsed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, retiring Sen. Gary Peters, and other top Democrats.
El-Sayed previously served as Detroit's health director and later as Wayne County's health director. A Rhodes Scholar, he first gained statewide prominence with his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, which was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
In the Senate race, El-Sayed has campaigned on Medicare for All, expanding public health programs, campaign finance reform, and a tougher U.S. stance toward Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. He has been endorsed by Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
"He's making a bet on the hundreds of thousands of Arab voters in that state," Cory Ruth, a political strategist, policy adviser, and global business executive, told the National News Desk.
"They have shown that they can swing an election."
Michigan is home to nearly 400,000 Arab residents, according to the Arab American Institute. The community drew national attention in 2024 after many Arab American voters abandoned Democrats over the war in Gaza, contributing to President Donald Trump's narrow victory in the battleground state.
"There's a lot of angst about Gaza, especially in southeast Michigan, especially among progressives and especially among the Arab American community in Dearborn," Michigan Public Radio Network's Rick Pluta told the "Here's the Scoop" podcast on Monday.
"Democratic leaders are very concerned that you will see either apathy, antipathy, or hostility ... based on whatever happens in the Democratic primary."