Rabbi Nadav Caine and his family observed a quiet Shabbat dinner in their Michigan home, a brief respite from the acrimonious midterm election campaign dividing Jewish voters across the state. With roughly 100,000 Jewish voters poised to influence the outcome of the upcoming US Senate race, their choices carry weight far beyond the ballot box.
While Caine has long aligned with the Democratic Party, he expressed deep reservations about candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim whose progressive platform and outspoken defense of Palestinians have garnered both support and sharp criticism. “I’m just mainly torn,” Caine, 60, said. “The dilemma for us is that I strongly believe El-Sayed doesn’t believe Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, and fosters the sense that Jews deserve the antisemitism they receive.”
El-Sayed’s rhetoric came under fire following a 2026 attack on a Michigan synagogue, where he faced backlash for stating “hurt people hurt people.” The candidate later apologized, stating he has “been able to listen and learn” from the pain caused. In response, Caine and other local Jewish leaders signed a petition titled “Nonnegotiable,” demanding that candidates treat Jewish safety, self-definition, statehood, and political participation as baseline commitments. El-Sayed has not signed the pledge.
Despite the controversy, El-Sayed retains backing from some Jewish leftists who relate to his experiences of discrimination. Businessman Kirk Dornbush, 65, wore a yarmulke and held an “Abdul for US Senate” sign at the October 8 televised debate in Grand Rapids, arguing: “Of the two candidates for Senate in Michigan, only one of them has been discriminated against because of his religion. I’ve been discriminated against because of my religion and I’m Jewish, so I’m voting with the guy who knows what it’s like.”
The debate unfolded against a backdrop of heightened tension. Republican rival Mike Rogers, who narrowly trails El-Sayed in polls, accused his opponent of supporting jihadists, while El-Sayed has faced intense Islamophobia from Rogers and former President Donald Trump. Both candidates recognize the importance of the Jewish vote; Rogers claimed the 100,000-strong community is swelling in his favor, labeling El-Sayed “anti-Jew.” However, University of Michigan-Dearborn politics professor Ronald Stockton estimated that one-third of Jewish voters in the state are Republican, suggesting the remainder are not convinced by arguments that Jewish safety is at risk.
At the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, students marked the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel with a vigil featuring Israeli flags and counter-chants of “Free Palestine.” Ann Arbor Chabad House Rabbi Alter Goldstein expressed hope that the election winner would “have tolerance,” though he added, “(But) hey, I’m not a prophet.” University of Michigan graduate Michael Schostak, a Republican running for the institution’s governing board, noted that many Jews in Michigan are concerned about El-Sayed’s candidacy, though he suggested the majority may ultimately vote for Rogers rather than endorse El-Sayed.