Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed urged his supporters on Thursday to stop making unkind personal attacks on his rival, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, calling the online criticism unhelpful to the race.
In a statement released July 17, El-Sayed said: “It’s become impossible to ignore the way that people online make fun of my opponent for things that have nothing to do with her policies or politics. It’s unkind and unhelpful. If you support me, please stop.” He emphasized that his campaign should focus on policy differences rather than personal mockery.
El-Sayed outlined the substantive contrasts he wants to highlight: Stevens’ acceptance of corporate donations, her votes on foreign spending, and what he characterized as her alignment with special interests including DTE Energy, Blue Cross, and pharmaceutical companies. He also pointed to outside spending in the race, stating that “AIPAC, Trump-aligned billionaires, and corporate PACs are spending $50,000,000+ to support her.” The statement concluded: “THOSE are the issues. We don’t need to be unkind to be honest.”
The comment comes as the two candidates compete in Michigan’s August 4 Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Recent polling shows the race tightening, with Stevens holding a narrow lead in some surveys. This is not the first time El-Sayed has distanced himself from disruptive behavior by his supporters—in April, he apologized after backers booed Stevens at a Michigan Democratic Party endorsement convention, saying such conduct was “unkind and unnecessary.”
Sources
- Abdul for U.S. Senate — El-Sayed’s official statement on unkind attacks, released July 17, 2026
- MIRS.news — April 2026 reporting on El-Sayed’s prior apology after supporters booed Stevens at the MDP convention
