El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race with 91.8% of Detroit vote
Turnout in the city rose by 21%, yet Black support for the senator was lower than for his gubernatorial opponent.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Abdul El-Sayed secured his victory in the Michigan U.S. Senate race with 91.8% of the vote in Detroit, according to the city's unofficial results. The win marks a sharp increase in support for the former public health official among a voting bloc that previously favored his primary opponent.
Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey reported that 209,924 residents cast ballots in the 2026 midterms. This figure represents a 21% increase over the 2022 midterm elections. The 2024 presidential election saw 247,770 ballots cast in the city.
El-Sayed captured 70.6% of the total vote in Wayne County, which includes Detroit. In the 2024 presidential contest, former Vice President Kamala Harris received 62.7% of the vote in the same jurisdiction. Statewide, El-Sayed defeated Republican challenger Mike Rogers with 52% of the vote.
Despite his strong performance, El-Sayed polled lower among Black voters than other Democratic candidates in the same cycle. NBC exit poll data indicates that 86% of Black voters in Michigan supported El-Sayed. In contrast, 90% of Black voters supported Jocelyn Benson, who won the governor's race against John James.
The gap in support is partly attributed to El-Sayed's lack of prior elected office experience. Black voters often value governing experience in their candidates. In the August primary, 62% of Detroit voters chose U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens over El-Sayed. Stevens is a moderate Democrat who defeated El-Sayed in that contest.
After losing the nomination, Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers. She attended a service with Rogers at a predominantly Black church in Detroit two days before the general election. The move drew backlash from Democratic leaders. One Black voter from Detroit told ABC News, “I felt like she pimped my community.”
Researchers from Michigan State University found that precincts with more than 80% Black voters supported Democratic statewide candidates over Republicans at a rate of 92% to 94% in the 2024 general election. This rate is slightly lower than the 94% to 95% levels observed in similar precincts during the 2020 election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
