In Michigan, Racist Attack Ads Against Abdul El-sayed Ramp Up

After a hard-fought Democratic Senate primary, Abdul El-Sayed is facing an expected, though nevertheless unsettling, barrage of racist attack ads in his general midterm election campaign.

Over the past several weeks, as he prepares to face off against Republican nominee Mike Rogers in November, people across Michigan have seen campaign ads depicting El-Sayed as an "un-American" outsider. It is an old strategy, though it comes at a time when many people from marginalised communities are already seeing a spike in biased incidents and attacks.

"They're making him out to be a scary guy. It's obscene and frightening that this is happening in 2026," Hannah Fertig, co-director of Fighting for Michigan, a political action committee (PAC) focused specifically on electing El-Sayed, told The New Arab. She previously worked for his 2018 campaign for Michigan governor.

"The minute the primary stopped, the racist ads started. Most other politicians are not getting this treatment," she said.

"Abdul Rahman Mohammed El-Sayed, the most radical Senate candidate in America," says the voiceover in a TV ad issued by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"El-Sayed pledged support for the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, a designated foreign terrorist group," the voice continues, referring to an article El-Sayed wrote in 2011 in support of Egyptian protesters who were demonstrating against then-president Hosni Mubarak. There is no evidence that El-Sayed has supported any extremist groups.

The ad goes on to highlight El-Sayed's ties to Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who focuses on progressive politics and is known for making controversial statements, which have become fodder for conservative attacks on Democrats.

"Abdul El-Sayed. Too radical. Too Dangerous. Wrong for Michigan," the attack ad concludes.

In the wake of the launch of these attack ads, El-Sayed's team issued a statement saying that while his opponents are focused on his ties to social media stars, he will be talking about the needs of people in Michigan.

"While politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare. Because that’s what Michiganders keep asking about. It’s why I keep fighting to get money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All," reads a statement from El-Sayed's campaign.

Rogers, El-Sayed's Republican opponent, has publicly stated that he does not want campaign support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), though it would still be possible for the lobby group to indirectly support him through other groups.

The smear campaign against El-Sayed, his full name is used, he is tied to the most controversial statements of his acquaintances, and he is characterised as dangerous. It is reminiscent of how former president Barack Obama, was attacked during his run for the White House.

Obama's opponents often referred to him by his full name of Barack Hussein Obama, he was tied to controversial statements by his reverend, and old photos were resurfaced of him wearing traditional African clothing.

Similar to Obama, El-Sayed has responded with a mix of humour, inclusivity and a focus on issues that concern everyday people. Like Obama, he has also run ads highlighting his mother's side of the family (in El-Sayed's case, his stepmother), whose roots in the US go back to the American Revolution.

Though it could be seen as unfortunate that El-Sayed might feel compelled to play into identity politics, it could also be seen as a strategy of inclusivity. He has not shunned his Middle Eastern roots, but instead has included his stepmother’s side of his family into his personal narrative, a blended family makeup many Americans can relate to.

Another strategy has been to embrace his own name. All of his rallies start out with the audience chanting his name, Abdul.

"I think it's a breakthrough campaign. He's Muslim, and he's proud of it. And he's proud of his step-grandparents," David Frank, a professor of rhetoric and political communication at the University of Oregon, told TNA. "El-Sayed is good at shifting the focus from himself to the system. There are people who aren't earning enough money to pay for food."

Though El-Sayed has been responding to the racist attack ads and social media commentary with a focus on the needs of Michiganders, the overall rhetoric has nevertheless had an impact on those with Middle Eastern backgrounds.

Since the primary at the beginning of August, Jake Lang, a far-right activist, who participated in the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot, has visited Michigan three times. During this time, Arab neighbourhoods were vandalised, local businesses closed, and some parents kept their children home from school fearing for their safety. Some people experienced death threats for calling out Lang's Islamophobic rhetoric, according to the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"He came here with the sole intent to terrorise the Muslim community," Amy Doukoure, lead attorney with CAIR-Michigan, told TNA. "I don't know if it can be directly linked to Rogers' campaign, but it’s part of [US President Donald] Trump's Make America Great Again campaign."

"I think people need to rise above this divisive political rhetoric. It's not a new phenomenon. We need to call it like it is. Change happens when people take a moral stand and don’t shy away," she added.