'Go be a Florida man': Abdul El-Sayed takes aim at Mike Rogers after Michigan primary win

WASHINGTON, DC: Abdul El-Sayed wasted little time turning Michigan's Senate race into a direct fight over Republican Mike Rogers' residency and post-Congress career after narrowly winning the Democratic primary on Wednesday, August 5.

The former Wayne County health director immediately cast Rogers as an outsider and a candidate who profited from his time in Washington, setting the tone for the fight over the pivotal Senate seat as Democrats quickly rallied behind their nominee.

Abdul El-Sayed targets Mike Rogers' Florida ties

Speaking to supporters after securing the Democratic nomination, El-Sayed accused Rogers of using public office for personal gain before leaving Michigan.

"Mike's a guy who spent 14 years in Congress with one goal: to figure out how to cash out the day he left," El-Sayed claimed. 

"And guess what he did? As soon as he left Congress, after having taken corporate check after corporate check after corporate check to empower the corporations to pick your pockets, he went, and he cashed out," he said.

He then sharpened his attack by questioning Rogers' connection to the state.

"Mike, if you want to be a Florida man, go be a Florida man," El-Sayed said, referring to Rogers' move to Florida after leaving the House.

El-Sayed defeated Rep Haley Stevens by about 1 percentage point for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Sen Gary Peters, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), with more than 95% of the vote reported Wednesday afternoon.

Democrats quickly moved to unify behind El-Sayed. Stevens congratulated him and endorsed his campaign, while Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer and Peters also backed the nominee after previously supporting Stevens.

Republicans frame Abdul El-Sayed as an extremist

Republicans, meanwhile, welcomed El-Sayed's victory, arguing he would be easier to defeat in November.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that it was "Great news for the Republican Party," calling El-Sayed "a Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel."

Rogers also sought to define the general election early, describing it as a choice between "common sense or complete insanity." He labeled El-Sayed an "extremist" who was "leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism."

The Republican candidate also criticized El-Sayed over crime, taxes, the Muslim Brotherhood, and his association with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.

At the same time, Senate Republicans' campaign arm released an ad referring to El-Sayed by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, while calling him "the most radical Senate candidate in America."

El-Sayed responded during his post-primary news conference.

"Mike, listen, man, if you can't say the name is Abdulrahman — keep the name out of your damn mouth," he said. "I'll be happy to give you lessons."

Democrats push for unity

Democratic leaders emphasized party unity after the closely fought primary.

State Sen Mallory McMorrow, who endorsed El-Sayed before the race was officially called, warned Democrats against carrying internal divisions into the general election.

"I can promise you that today, Mike Rogers and Donald Trump are looking at Michigan, and they are hoping that these family fights that we had, the disagreements within the Democratic Party, are the fights that we're going to retain through November," she said.

Speaking on ‘CBS Mornings’, El-Sayed said his coalition would remain open to all voters as the campaign shifted to the general election.

"But I have said that this is a big open movement. We welcome anybody and everybody who understands that we need a government of the people, by the people, and for the people," he said, before adding, "We've only got 13 weeks to beat a guy who has no business being in the US Senate."