Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed rolled out a new campaign ad this week that leans on an unlikely group of supporters: Fox News hosts and conservative commentators praising the progressive candidate.
El-Sayed is locked in a battle with former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., in one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm election cycle. Polls have shown El-Sayed holding a single-digit lead, though within the margin of error, and the current Real Clear Politics polling average puts him ahead by 1.9 points.
Michigan remains a true swing state. Voters there backed President Donald Trump by 0.23% in 2016, swung to Joe Biden by 2.8% in 2020 and returned to Trump by 1.4% in 2024.
Semafor’s Dave Weigel reported on El-Sayed’s new “Michigan First” ad Friday, describing it as “head-turning” and a “unique approach” for using conservative voices to deliver the Democrat’s message. According to Weigel, the El-Sayed campaign is putting a six-figure buy behind the ad to air it on television.
El-Sayed, who is more progressive than the Democratic primary opponents he defeated, uses the spot to tap into populist issues. In the video, he introduces himself and lays out several areas where he believes he and MAGA voters could find common ground.
“We agree on a lot,” El-Sayed says in his pitch to voters across the aisle.
He goes on to slam the “DC elites” for spending millions of dollars attacking him, calls for the release of the Epstein files and urges leaders to “stop wasting our tax dollars on overseas wars.” He also declares that “free speech is under attack, and we should be making America healthy again.”
“Don’t want to take my word for it? How about some folks you know a little bit better?” El-Sayed asks before turning to a television set behind him.
What follows is a montage of clips from television and podcast programs complimenting El-Sayed and taking shots at Rogers, his Republican opponent.
“You gotta respect Abdul because he beat the machine,” Jesse Watters, host of Fox News’ “The Five,” says in one clip.
“He’s a good-looking guy,” Lara Trump says on Fox News’ “Outnumbered.” “He’s a great speaker.”
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson appears saying, “I wouldn’t vote for Mike Rogers at gunpoint.”
In a clip from her podcast, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., notes that Democrats “spent a skyrocketing $65 million to defeat him” in the primary.
Watters returns in another clip, saying, “This guy is a force that Mike Rogers is gonna have to deal with.”
The ad closes with El-Sayed reading the legally required disclaimer.
“I approve this message,” he says. “Because for me, it’s Michigan First, and we can agree on that.”
El-Sayed is hardly the only Democrat to see value in Fox News. Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., regularly appear on the network, as does former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The unconventional ad signals El-Sayed’s bid to reach beyond his party’s base as he looks to hold his narrow edge in a state that has swung back and forth in recent presidential elections.
