DSA-backed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory in the Michigan Senate race last week intensified a backlash that had already been brewing among non-DSA Democrats in the state, some of whom had vowed to oppose him every step of the way weeks before the primary was held.
Understandably, Jewish Democrats were particularly concerned given El-Sayed’s anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rhetoric, and his decision to make the Israel-Hamas war a focal point of his campaign. Rumors swirled in July that some Jewish Democratic donors were contemplating not just backing Republican candidate Mike Rogers at the ballot box but also with fundraising, should El-Sayed prevail on August 4.
Between that, some non-Michigan Democrats going on record after August 4 that they’d support Rogers, and reports of some Jewish Democrats in Michigan already making moves to back the GOP nominee, he moved pretty quickly to reach out to disaffected Democrats and anyone else who did “not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values,” as Legal Insurrection reported:
In an update to this story, the Jewish Insider shared that some of the fundraisers were already in the works and scheduled:
From the story:
In one of the first major signs of those efforts now materializing, three prominent Jewish Democratic bundlers in Michigan are hosting a fundraiser for Rogers next Tuesday, according to an email invite sent to Jewish community members on Thursday.“This is something that none of us has ever done,” said Hannan Lis, who is leading the fundraiser with Brian Hermelin and Rob Orley. “But we feel this is a departure in the direction of the Democratic Party,” he told JI of El-Sayed’s staunch opposition to Israel and refusal to recognize its right to exist as a Jewish state. “We’re taking a stand here,” he added. “This is beyond politics.”Even though “there are many issues where we don’t necessarily agree with Mike Rogers,” Lis noted, “we trust him” on key issues. The fundraiser is meant to “show we are willing to back up a person” who holds a mutual commitment to a “strong relationship with Israel” and “is not playing politics” on other matters concerning the Jewish community, he explained.
Further, the report stressed that Rogers “has also attended pro-Israel fundraisers outside of the state this week, according to a person familiar with the matter,” with a source telling them that as far as enthusiasm from pro-Israel voters went, “a not-insignificant piece is from Democrats.”
The news comes as results from the first post-primary poll have been released, showing El-Sayed with problems among non-DSA voters and independents:
“El-Sayed is underperforming with Black voters, women and suburban voters compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election,” the Fox News poll also made clear.
There is widespread belief among conservatives that Fox News polls skew to the left. If that’s the case, El-Sayed may be doing even worse than the poll suggests. The fact that Jewish Democrats are already lining up to fundraise for Rogers less than two weeks after the primary was held would seem to emphasize the point.
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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