Harris to Campaign in Detroit for Progressive Senate Hopeful El-Sayed

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is set to campaign in Michigan on Tuesday, lending her support to progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a swing state that could prove decisive in the fight for control of the Senate.

Harris will take part in events in Detroit focused on strengthening support among Black voters, according to her spokesperson. Her schedule includes a roundtable on Black maternal health alongside El-Sayed, as well as a separate appearance at an event hosted by the Detroit branch of the NAACP.

The visit lands at a critical moment in the closely watched contest between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman. Should Democrats retain Michigan's Senate seat, they would still need to capture four more seats currently held by Republicans to command the 100-member chamber in November. A Rogers victory would make that path considerably harder.

Rogers has been courting voters in Detroit, a predominantly Black city where his campaign believes it can win over those reluctant to back El-Sayed. In August's Democratic primary, voters in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, preferred Representative Haley Stevens over El-Sayed, choosing the more establishment-aligned Democrat who served in President Barack Obama's administration. Harris's appearances come as El-Sayed works to consolidate support in that Democratic stronghold.

The race is also being viewed as a test of whether a progressive platform can succeed on the national stage. El-Sayed has positioned himself to the left of the Democratic establishment, backing universal healthcare and opposing U.S. arms sales to Israel.

Harris's ties to her party's progressive wing have at times been uneasy, particularly as she pursued moderate Republican voters during her last presidential campaign against Donald Trump. Some Democrats objected to her support for Israel during the war in Gaza, an issue that split the party and contributed to her 2024 loss in Michigan, home to a sizable Arab American population.

El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of Israel and has described the war as a genocide against Palestinians, a charge Israel rejects. Some Democratic Jewish voters have thrown their support behind Rogers because of El-Sayed's position. He has apologized for past controversial remarks and says he is committed to Jewish safety.

Harris's Michigan stop also comes amid speculation about whether she will seek the presidency in 2028. She has not addressed her plans, but she is also visiting Nevada and Georgia, two other politically important states. Michigan will be the fifth state to vote in the Democratic presidential primary.