Former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat now running for US Senate in Michigan, speaks at a “Hands Off” protest at the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, on April 5, 2025. Photo: Andrew Roth/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

A mobile billboard truck contrasting Abdul El-Sayed as representing “Michigan’s future” with Rep. Haley Stevens as representing “Israel’s future” was spotted in Metro Detroit, injecting a dual-loyalty insinuation into one of the country’s most closely watched Democratic Senate primaries.

According to observers, the truck travelled around midtown and downtown Detroit in an effort to influence voters as they head to the polls to decide the Democratic Senate nominee.

Although it is not clear that the truck was commissioned by the El-Sayed campaign, observers noted that the truck represented another signal that antisemitism has become a central feature of the competition. El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health official, has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, called it a “rogue state,” and argued that its government and the Hamas terrorist organization are both “evil.”

He has also questioned US support for maintaining Israel as a specifically Jewish state, stating that there is no interpretation of a Jewish state that can be compatible with liberal values. He also sparked anger by asserting that the only reason a Democrat could support Israel is because of money, and that it is impossible for a Democrat to support Israel and believe in “human rights.”

El-Sayed has campaigned alongside left-wing political streamer Hasan Piker, who endorsed his candidacy and appeared with him at events in Michigan. During one such appearance, El-Sayed denounced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and accused it of influencing lawmakers to support the war against Iran.

The progressive also drew outrage in March when he allegedly claimed that speaking out on an attempted massacre against Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan would represent a “risk.” He argued that many people in the local Muslim community harbored support for Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group which the synagogue assailant possessed ties to. In a campaign conference call acquired by The Washington Free Beacon, El-Sayed told staffers that he wanted to stay silent on the US killing of Ayatollah Ali Khameni because “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad.”

Despite this, El-Sayed contends that he “reveres” the Jewish community and has vowed to use his power to protect the Jewish community if elected to office.

Stevens, his opponent, has maintained a much more mainstream platform, centering her support for the US-Israel alliance in her campaign. Many have speculated her refusal to adopt in anti-Israel rhetoric or policies, and her acceptance of funds from the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has become a significant liability in her campaign.

Many are looking to the Michigan Senate primary as a bellwether for the future direction of the Democratic Party. If El-Sayed emerges victorious in the primary, and in the subsequent general election, observers expect more Democrats to adopt harsher policies and rhetoric against Israel.

The last batch of polls in the lead-up to Election Day shows El-Sayed with a commanding double-digit lead. The firebrand progressive is a heavy favorite to defeat the pro-Israel Stevens.