Jewish Dem defections threaten El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race decided by razor-thin margins
Jewish voters could provide the decisive margin in Michigan’s November Senate election, particularly as some lifelong Democrats say they are prepared to cross party lines and vote for Republican Mike...
By Fox News · Fox News
Jewish voters could provide the decisive margin in Michigan’s November Senate election, particularly as some lifelong Democrats say they are prepared to cross party lines and vote for Republican Mike Rogers against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Analysts point to Michigan’s last U.S. Senate race decided by just 19,006 votes. With estimates placing the state’s Jewish population between approximately 105,000 and 130,000 adults, those votes could tip the scales in favor of Rogers. "Republicans made real gains in the most Jewish areas in 2024, and Michigan was no exception," Matthew Knee, a Republican pollster and consultant who serves as chief data officer of Pulse Decision Science, told Fox News Digital. "Stevens massively outperformed in many Jewish precincts as well," Knee said, commenting on the primary. "Rogers and El-Sayed are both the kinds of candidates that will accelerate this trend. There are only 130,000 Jewish voters in Michigan, but in 2024, Rogers only lost by 19,006 votes, so that can make the difference in that kind of razor-thin environment." DEM ATTORNEY BACKS GOP HOPEFUL IN MICHIGAN RACE AGAINST EL-SAYED, 'JUMPING SHIP' FROM HIS PARTY'S 'LUNATICS' For generations, voting for the Democratic Party has been part of the identity of many Jewish families across the state, but since El-Sayed’s victory, some are moving toward the Republican Party. In interviews with Fox News Digital, several Jewish Michigan voters said El-Sayed’s positions regarding Israel and Zionism have forced them to choose between the liberal values they have supported throughout their lives and what they view as the safety of their children and community. For many, that prospective vote would not represent a wholesale rejection of the Democratic Party. It would be a break in this single race, a split-ticket vote they once considered unthinkable. Steve Cohen, a lifelong Michigan resident and self-described "notorious ticket splitter," said the current political climate has made the Senate r…