Republicans have sought to make controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker synonymous with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed, but a new poll suggests their efforts may be falling short, as many voters do not know who the social media figure is.
Piker had appeared with el Sayed before the primary election and has quickly become the GOP’s mascot for the dangers the Democratic candidate presents to the state. Although he lives in California, Republican nominee Mike Rogers has released several ads pointing out Piker’s proximity to el Sayed.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted among 605 likely Michigan voters found that 54% of respondents did not know who Piker was. Additionally, the survey found that only 6% of respondents had a “very/somewhat favorable” opinion of Piker, while 34% had a “very/somewhat” unfavorable opinion of him. The poll had a margin of error of 5.4.
Piker has 3.1 million followers on his Twitch channel and 1.7 million followers on X. Since his appearance with el Sayed, he’s been interviewed by Axios and MS Now, wading further into legacy media.
As for el Sayed, the poll found that 47% have a favorable opinion of him, while 43% have an unfavorable opinion. Rogers is underwater as far as favorability goes, as 39% have a favorable opinion of the Republican, while 45% have an unfavorable one.
Rogers has repeatedly targeted el Sayed’s association with Piker, despite the Democrat making efforts to distance himself from the streamer who once said America “deserved 9/11,” a clip the GOP often highlights. Piker streams for hours at a time, often giving him the chance to parse through an opinion before making his final take. But the mode of communication has functioned as a trove of outlandish claims for the GOP to target.
El Sayed ran a highly progressive primary campaign, and his previous rallies with Piker have been a bump in the road, as the streamer often recruits for the Democratic Socialists of America. But since winning the nomination, el Sayed has sought to join forces with top Democrats to garner support from the moderate flank of the party that previously backed his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).
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Earlier this month, el Sayed attended a closed-door meeting with Democratic senators in Washington, which was followed by united support for the candidate. On Tuesday, former Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Michigan to campaign with el Sayed, lending her ability to rally black voters behind the progressive nominee.
El Sayed’s moves seem to be making a difference as Democrats gain traction in the state. Election forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted the race from a toss-up rating to “Leans Democratic,” saying el Sayed is a “soft favorite” to win. However, the University of Virginia forecaster cautioned that there could still be an upset in November.