Traditionally Democratic Jewish voters in Detroit are telling the Daily Mail they are switching their support to Republicans in this year's midterms.
Voter Shlomi Bennett said Tuesday morning that he is voting for Republican Mike Rogers because he holds 'serious concerns' about Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed's 'response to antisemitism.'
'I'm particularly troubled by what I see as his failure to clearly condemn ads that Jewish voters have called antisemitic, and his associations with controversial figures such as Hasan Piker and Tucker Carlson,' Bennett said.
Bennett had voted for Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary over El-Sayed, and he said Stevens' surprise endorsement of Rogers on Sunday was indicative of 'a serious divide' in American politics.
The latest New York Times/Siena University poll shows El-Sayed leading Rogers by 11 points, with 53 percent support compared to Rogers' 42 percent.
Stevens had repeatedly called out El-Sayed over his comments about Israel and his association with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, demanding that El-Sayed apologize for remarks she said unfairly blamed Jewish Americans for America's problems.
She also urged him to clearly reject Piker's rhetoric, describing it as deeply disturbing.
Following the backlash, El-Sayed issued a statement insisting he was committed to protecting Jewish Americans, declaring that his commitment to their safety was equal to that of his own daughters.
Jewish voters in Detroit told the Daily Mail they are abandoning the Democratic Party and switching their support to Mike Rogers in this year's midterm
Haley Stevens has repeatedly called out El-Sayed over his comments about Israel and his association with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, endorsing Mike Rogers on Sunday
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed visits a polling site during the US midterm elections, in Ann Arbor, Michigan November 3, 2026
He called antisemitism a 'scourge' and said he opposed any rhetoric putting the Jewish community at risk.
However, he stopped short of naming Piker or directly condemning his remarks, instead insisting that nobody spoke for his campaign other than himself and his spokespeople.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin also said he found Stevens' decision to cross party lines 'courageous.'
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'Whether or not you agree with Rep Haley Stevens' endorsement of Mike Rogers, everyone should respect the courage that it took for her to defy her party and take what she feels is a principled stand,' he said.
'Such courage - at great cost to her political career - is all too rare in today's political world. In general, hope we learn to respect each other's decisions without demonizing those positions we disagree with.'
But not all voters on the other side of the aisle are letting religion influence their decision.
Some voters told the Daily Mail that, when it comes to winning their vote, El-Sayed's looks are doing the talking.
Voter Tracy Grasy, 60, told the Daily Mail she previously voted for his opponent Mike Rogers.
'I mean, he's not a bad-looking man. He really isn't! He just isn't!' Grasy said of El-Sayed.
'He's easy on the eyes, and he's educated. That's even better!'
First-time voter Meilyn Rodriguez, 18, said she was also voting for El-Sayed because he 'just seems right for the people.'
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The teenager said she and her friends had seen TikTok videos about El-Sayed's looks, and said she had seen people say they were 'voting for him because he's hot.'
'Like mostly just because he's hot,' she said.
'But, I'm not really doing that. Like I would just rather not vote for the other guy.'
El-Sayed's support skews younger, and he used TikTok to his advantage with clever skits and trending sounds, becoming popular nationally.
Polling shows he draws considerably more backing from younger voters than older generations.
An August EPIC-MRA survey found he commanded 62 percent support among voters aged 18 to 34 compared to Rogers, with just 36 percent among those aged 50 to 64.
Among voters over 65, Rogers held a narrow lead.
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