The Michigan Senate race is one of the biggest of the midterm election season, with the Republicans hoping to flip the seat of retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
Tuesday's Democrat primary pits Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) versus Abdul El-Sayed, who has been tied to radical Islam. The winner will take on presumptive Republican nominee Mike Rogers in November.
Some polls have El Sayed leading, others favor Stevens.
Bill Johnson is Founder and president of the Michigan-based American Decency Association.
"Both those candidates are considered very liberal, obviously, and certainly neither one of them are moderates. But if we had El-Sayed in there, that would be disastrous. Because not only is he a phony, a liar, he's an Islamist, and his background is rich in Islamism."
So, Johnson says between the two …
“I would say that Stevens is the lesser of two evils, yet she is very far left."
Stevens’ campaign literature presents her as a moderate Democrat, not far left.
She emphasizes bipartisan manufacturing advocacy, having previously served as chief of staff for the Obama administration's auto task force.
Her record includes voting against ending the national coronavirus emergency and against repealing ESG investment rules, while voting for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and a resolution condemning socialism.
In 2025, she voted for a funding package that included the Department of Homeland Security and a resolution expressing gratitude to ICE, positions el Sayad highlights to contrast with his progressive stance.
Fundraising for Islamic-linked organizations is a central point of contention for El-Sayed. Reports indicate he headlined luxury yacht fundraisers in 2019 for Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a charity whose parent organization has been sanctioned by Israel and investigated by Congress for alleged ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
At these events, he appeared alongside speaker Amer Zahr, who has expressed solidarity with Hamas and Hezbollah. El-Sayed, a university of Michigan graduate who has worked in government healthcare agencies, has faced scrutiny for associations with individuals such as Ahmed Shehata and Esam Omeish, who have been linked to Brotherhood-aligned activism, and for defending the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in a 2011 essay, according to FreeRepublic.com.
Appearance with Piker not helpful
Political rhetoric and associations have further fueled these accusations, with opponents citing his past vice presidency in the Muslim Students Association (MSA), a group critics allege has historical ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed has faced backlash for comments regarding the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and for appearing with commentator Hasan Piker, whom critics label a radical.
Johnson thinks ties to Islam will work against El-Sayed.
"I think Stevens will prevail over El-Sayed because there is an ever-increasing flow of information that is helping people to see just how Islamic El-Sayed is. I mean, he might try to come across as a medical doctor, which is a fraud. He is not. And not only is he a fraud, but his ties to Islam are an Islamic-thinking thought. "
