Michigan Senate Race Turns Religious Test Debate

During the October 2026 campaign, President Donald Trump, GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers, and Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno repeatedly framed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed—an openly Muslim former health commissioner—as a security threat. Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and suggested metal detectors would be needed for him in the Senate chamber. Moreno declared that “this character Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, DC” and questioned his understanding of

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Article VI of the Constitution prohibits any religious test for public office, and the First Amendment bars laws respecting an establishment of religion. The anti-El-Sayed attacks echo Trump’s early-term travel ban on Muslims and his habit of emphasizing religious identity in political battles.

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• Trump’s October 29 rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, featured the “jihadist” label and name-mangling of El-Sayed.

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• Rogers, speaking on October 27 in Howell, Michigan, focused on alleged Brotherhood ties while avoiding direct faith attacks.

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• Moreno, after his October 28 Ohio rally, argued that El-Sayed’s faith disqualifies him from office, invoking “God almighty” and Christian salvation.

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• El-Sayed rebutted the loyalty accusations at a town-hall meeting, asserting that the Constitution is “the guiding light” for his public service.

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A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday shows El-Sayed leading Rogers 49 % to 42 % among likely voters, suggesting the religious attacks have not eroded his support despite the heated rhetoric.

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• “Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” — Mike Rogers, the president “Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” — Mike Rogers, the president

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• “This character Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, DC,” — Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno “This character Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, DC,” — Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno

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• “Do you think he understands that concept that our rights come from God almighty, that Jesus came here for our salvation?” — Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno “Do you think he understands that concept that our rights come from God almighty, that Jesus came here for our salvation?” — Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno

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• “I don’t think Jefferson, who of course is a primary drafter of the Declaration, was a Christian nationalist, and the framers of the Constitution and the document itself are explicitly anti-Christian nationalism. It’s a rejection of theocracy,” — Corey Brettschneider, Brown University professor “I don’t think Jefferson, who of course is a primary drafter of the Declaration, was a Christian nationalist, and the framers of the Constitution and the document itself are explicitly anti-Christian nationalism. It’s a rejection of theocracy,” — Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor

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