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El-Sayed Leads Rogers in Michigan Senate Race Polls

9/2/2026

14 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed leads former Rep. Mike Rogers in recent polls.
Polls show El-Sayed at 47-50% and Rogers at 43-45%.
RealClearPolitics average gives El-Sayed a 1.8-point lead, 46.3% to 44.5%.
El-Sayed apologized to Jewish Democrats, saying his post-synagogue-attack comments were misinterpreted.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called his “hurt people hurt people” remark an excuse for the attacker.

History

Historical Context

The April 19 1995 Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh, which killed 168 people, spurred the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and a surge in FBI resources. Decades later, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s remarks about a synagogue attack revived the same sensitivity to extremist rhetoric, prompting Attorney General Dana Nessel’s condemnation and public scrutiny.

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Story summary

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed leads former Rep. Mike Rogers in recent polls.
Polls show El-Sayed at 47-50% and Rogers at 43-45%.
RealClearPolitics average gives El-Sayed a 1.8-point lead, 46.3% to 44.5%.
El-Sayed apologized to Jewish Democrats, saying his post-synagogue-attack comments were misinterpreted.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called his “hurt people hurt people” remark an excuse for the attacker.

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