El-Sayed edges Rogers in Michigan Senate poll

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is leading opponent former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) by a few points in the battle for a seat in the upper chamber, according to new polling.

In the EPIC-MRA poll , 43 percent of respondents either said they would back Rogers or leaned toward him if their ballots were due that day, while 47 percent said the same of El-Sayed. Ten percent were unsure of their candidate of choice or did not respond.

Michigan has been a key battleground state in recent elections, with President Trump winning the Wolverine State in 2024 and former President Biden winning it in 2020.

El-Sayed’s primary victory earlier this month followed a wave of fellow progressives notching wins against more moderate Democratic candidates in the last few months. The Michigan Democratic Senate nominee has backed a number of progressive policies, including the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a reduction in American financial support for Israel and Medicare for All.

Earlier this month, Rogers officially launched the “Democrats for Mike Rogers” coalition. The GOP candidate launched the coalition at an event with a handful of Democrats including Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D).

“Michiganders are tired of anger and division, and I don’t think there’s a better representation of that than what you see standing here today,” Rogers said at the time.

“When the stakes are this high, you put your differences aside, you listen to each other, and you work together. That’s what Michigan needs now more than ever. This election is bigger than Republican versus Democrat, left versus right,” he added.

However, Rogers may face an uphill battle in his race for the Senate, as Republicans cope with rocky political territory heading into the midterms. The GOP must navigate the unpopular war in Iran , President Trump’s sagging approval numbers and concerns about the economy.

The EPIC-MRA poll took place Aug. 22-28, featuring 600 likely Michigan midterm voters and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.