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Michigan Democrats Fracture Over Israel as Jewish Attorney General Skips State Convention

The party split could shrink Jewish support and threaten unity in a razor‑thin Michigan Senate race.

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Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a news conference at the base of the Spirit of Detroit monument in Detroit, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addresses the state's Jewish Democratic Caucus during the party's nominating convention in Lansing, Mich., Aug. 29, 2026. During the meeting, El-Sayed apologized for earlier comments he had made about an attack on a synagogue in the state, in which he had said, "Hurt people hurt people." (Andrew Lapin/JTA)
El-Sayed's derogatory remarks about Usha Vance may jeopardize his standing with key Michigan voters.

Overview

  • Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a prominent Jewish Democrat, did not attend the state nominating convention on Aug. 29 because she said she feared harassment and would not feel safe at the event.
  • At the convention Abdul El‑Sayed apologized to Jewish Democrats for his March remark that “hurt people hurt people” after a West Bloomfield synagogue attack, saying his words were misconstrued and that he was sorry.
  • El‑Sayed’s past campaigning with controversial streamer Hasan Piker and his critiques of Israel remain unresolved issues that many Jewish Democrats cite as reasons for distrust.
  • Party officials tightened security, enforced a zero‑tolerance code of conduct and warned of immediate ejection for disruptive behavior after pro‑Palestinian activists loudly heckled pro‑Israel speakers at an April gathering.
  • Jewish leaders have circulated an open letter urging some Jewish Democrats to back Republican Mike Rogers, a move that could lower turnout for Democrats and affect control of the U.S. Senate in November.