Detroit Free Press backs El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race

The Detroit Free Press, Michigan’s largest newspaper, endorsed Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed over Republican Mike Rogers in the state’s U.S. Senate race. In an editorial published online Sunday, the paper urged voters to send El-Sayed to Washington, citing his public health record and focus on labor rights and corporate influence as reasons for optimism.

The endorsement follows recent polls that place El-Sayed slightly ahead of Rogers. A New York Times/Siena poll released Thursday showed El-Sayed at 49 percent and Rogers at 44 percent among likely voters, while a Rasmussen Reports survey found a three‑point lead for El-Sayed. An Emerson College poll from mid‑September reported 48 percent support for El-Sayed and 46 percent for Rogers, with four percent undecided.

The paper also noted that El-Sayed has never held elected office but has a strong public health background, and that Rogers’ service in the U.S. Army and FBI, as well as his experience in state and federal office, were factors in the endorsement. The endorsement comes as Michigan is a key midterm race, with the Democratic Party hoping to flip control of the Senate.

Read the full story at newsweek.com.