DETROIT — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined Abdul el Sayed on the campaign trail Monday, offering a high-profile progressive endorsement as Democrats rallied around their Senate nominee in the final hours before Michigan voters head to the polls.
The appearance at the Majestic Theatre in downtown Detroit came amid an extraordinary intraparty rupture over Rep. Haley Stevens’s (D-MI) decision to flip her endorsement from el Sayed to Republican Mike Rogers two days before Election Day.
Warren, a longtime progressive ally of el Sayed, cast the Michigan Democrat as a candidate voters could trust to stand up to wealthy interests and corporate lobbying, contrasting his record in public health with the influence of money in Washington.
“I made the decision a long time ago that the guy I trust in a job like this is a guy who spends his time putting glasses on little kids who can’t afford them,” Warren told the crowd of about 1,000 people at the Majestic Theatre. She also praised el Sayed for establishing a program to purchase and cancel uncollectible medical debt.
“A guy who says to the corporate pack, ‘I don’t take your money. I don’t work for you. I don’t work for anyone other than the people of Michigan,’” Warren said. “That’s the guy I trust, and his name is Abdul.”
Warren’s appearance was part of a broader progressive push to reinforce el Sayed’s candidacy after Stevens’s defection threatened to deepen divisions among Michigan Democrats at a critical moment in the Senate contest.
The senator also used her remarks to underscore the stakes of electing lawmakers willing to withstand pressure from lobbyists and wealthy donors.
“The question you have to ask yourself: You put a lot of trust into your elected officials,” Warren said. “Are you going to have elected officials who, when the door is closed, you’re not 100% sure who it is they’re going to be there for, or you are 100% sure?”
El Sayed’s wife, Sarah Jukaku, a physician, also addressed supporters Monday night, as the campaign sought to turn the controversy surrounding Stevens into a rallying point for its coalition. Rapper Common also attended.
But the Senate nominee, who was greeted with thunderous applause, largely stuck to his familiar campaign script in his final address to supporters, leaning into his progressive agenda and mocking President Donald Trump and members of his administration.
“Donald Trump can’t seem to remember what my name is, despite his incredibly high score on his cognitive test,” el Sayed said, referring to the president’s repeated mispronunciation of his name.
He also mocked Vice President JD Vance as “JV Dance” and took aim at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently visited Michigan and disparaged the Arab world’s scientific contributions.
“His only expertise is that he understands what it means to have zero scientific contributions,” el Sayed said. “I’m like, habibi, listen, at the end of the day, I got two doctorates, you got none.”
The rally followed a day of campaigning with Warren, during which the two emphasized “Medicare for all” and higher taxes on millionaires and billionaires, familiar themes of el Sayed’s bid to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
The progressive senator’s endorsement offered a counterweight to the political fallout from Stevens’s decision, which senior Democrats have characterized as a betrayal of the party.
El Sayed, however, sought to brush aside questions about the congresswoman Monday, telling reporters he had already addressed the controversy and preferred to offer recommendations for restaurants in the area.
“I’ve said what I need to say about that,” he said.
Stevens’s endorsement of Rogers, a former congressman and Republican Senate nominee, has become one of the most dramatic episodes in the final stretch of the Michigan campaign. Stevens cited el Sayed’s positions on Israel in explaining her decision, prompting condemnation from Democratic leaders and resignations from members of her congressional staff. Stevens lost the August Democratic Senate primary to el Sayed by less than a percentage point but endorsed him immediately after.
El Sayed’s campaign said it raised $2.4 million in the 24 hours following Stevens’s announcement, suggesting the controversy may have energized supporters rather than weakened his chances.
JEWISH VOTERS PUT IN SPOTLIGHT IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE AFTER STEVENS AND EL SAYED FEUD
The race carries significant national consequences. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report’s final rating placed el Sayed in a favorable position to win, and its assessment also shifted the broader Senate battle toward Democrats, who are seeking to reclaim the chamber.
More than 2.3 million Michigan ballots had already been returned, according to the Associated Press, as both campaigns entered the final hours of an election that could determine Senate control.