Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed announced new campaign stops that will feature Democratic fundraising heavyweights former President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
With less than 30 days until the general election, the Michigan Democrat is pulling out all the stops. He will be joined by Obama at a campaign event with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson in Detroit on Oct. 24. El Sayed is also headed to New York to campaign with Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez on Monday, according to the New York Times.
El Sayed’s headquarters account teased Obama’s appearance on Monday afternoon, saying, “big … news …coming.” But el Sayed’s opponent, former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, attempted to spoil the Democrat’s big announcement.
“We already know your boy going to NYC to raise MORE money from billionaires today,” the Rogers war room account responded.
Obama has lent his star power to Democrats facing tight races in the midterm elections, appearing alongside Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico at an event in May and in a campaign ad with Iowa Democrat Josh Turek.
While he is appearing with el Sayed, Obama has not officially endorsed the candidate. He has only backed three statewide candidates in the 2026 elections. Obama has endorsed Turek, Talarcio, and Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa.
With a campaign stop in Detroit added to his itinerary, Obama appears ready to throw his support behind el Sayed and Benson and begin playing the midterm game with the general election on the horizon.
Obama’s support could lend more than just fundraising power and national attention for el Sayed.
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El Sayed ran a more progressive campaign leading up to the primary election in which he faced Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), an establishment-backed Democrat who won over black voters. Now, el Sayed must get the support of those who sided with Stevens in the primary. Former Vice President Kamala Harris previously stopped in Michigan to stump for el Sayed at an event focused on black maternal health.
In the near future, el Sayed will be joined by Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, who each have proven adept at fundraising. Talarico and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown ventured to the East Coast to fundraise last week.