The defections coincide with ad campaigns featuring Black Democrats who formerly backed Barack Obama and now view El-Sayed as too extreme. El-Sayed’s campaign has countered by promoting Republicans who have endorsed his candidacy. Meanwhile, DropSite News reports that the "Democrats for Rogers" group is composed of right-wing operatives with a history of supporting the GOP rather than genuine Democratic converts.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Lifelong Michigan Democrats Vote Republican for First Time for Mike Rogers
US Politics9 hours ago
Lon Johnson, the former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, and Marcus Bowman, an elected official from Pontiac, have announced they will not support Abdul El-Sayed for the U.S. Senate. Bowman is crossing party lines to back Republican Mike Rogers. A national reporter for the New York Times notes that lifelong Jewish Democrats in Detroit suburbs are also voting Republican for the first time, describing the contest as a rare instance of a GOP candidate converting loyal Democratic voters in a marquee race.
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