{
  "id": 3751041,
  "title": "His state Democratic Party is still divided but Michigan’s El Sayed gets it, he says: ‘losing is hard’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/his-state-democratic-party-is-still-divided-but-michigans-el-sayed",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-27T13:24:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/08/27/michigan-democratic-party-el-sayed-israel-islam-antisemitism/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Democrats gathered in West Michigan this week to discuss the cost of living under President Donald Trump. However, the conversation quickly shifted to a controversy dividing their party. A woman criticized U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten for not supporting Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. She claimed that El-Sayed's rhetoric was driven by protecting tax dollars to Israel, rather than improving the economic future of West Michigan. This dilemma of maintaining focus on the economy while dealing with internal divisions is a challenge facing Democrats as they approach the November election.\n\nMichigan is particularly vulnerable to this tension, as Democrats are trying to regroup after a heated Senate primary. El-Sayed won the primary over U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, but disputes over Israel, antisemitism, and El-Sayed's association with controversial commentator Hasan Piker have complicated the party's efforts to realign its focus. Several Democrats, including Michigan state Rep. Jeremy Moss, have withheld their support for El-Sayed, arguing that his rhetoric is detrimental to the party's message.\n\nDana Nessel, Michigan's Attorney General and Jewish, suggested that El-Sayed should not defend domestic terrorism in the wake of an attack on a synagogue in Detroit. New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer also expressed his disapproval, stating that El-Sayed has not backed off his views towards Jewish Americans. Piker, a popular online personality, has faced criticism for his controversial remarks, including comparing America to the 9/11 terrorists and disputing the idea that opposing Israel is antisemitic. Critics argue that Piker's comments suggest Jewish Americans who support Israel may be inviting violence, which is considered antisemitic.\n\nDespite distancing himself from Piker, El-Sayed has not severed ties completely. He insists that only he and his campaign spokesperson represent the campaign. However, some Democrats are optimistic about the party's overall unity moving into the November election, stating that disagreements are a natural part of the process after a contentious primary.",
  "summary": "El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim senator, has denounced antisemitism while fiercely criticizing Israel for its military operations in Gaza.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}