Obama to campaign in Detroit with El-Sayed on Oct. 24
Version 2: New reporting added details on the primary’s record spending and El-Sayed’s platform, along with race ratings, a Harris visit and the Nov. 3 election date.
In short
Former President Barack Obama will campaign in Detroit on Oct. 24 with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other Michigan candidates, the state party announced. The Hill and The Guardian reported the rally falls on the first day of in-person early voting in Michigan, 10 days before Election Day. El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in an August primary by less than a percentage point and faces Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat.
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Former President Barack Obama will campaign in Detroit with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other candidates on Oct. 24, the state party announced, according to Politico and The Guardian. El-Sayed confirmed the date in a post on X, writing: “It is my honor and privilege to announce that President @BarackObama is joining us on the trail in Detroit on Saturday, October 24.” The Hill and The Guardian reported the rally falls on the first day of in-person early voting in Michigan, while Politico and The Guardian said it comes 10 days before Election Day. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
Obama is getting significantly more involved in the midterm elections, with additional campaign stops and advertisements expected in the closing weeks, according to plans shared first with The Associated Press. The AP reported he taped two dozen ads last week for Democratic candidates for governor and Senate that will be released in the coming days and weeks, and that he will headline a Washington fundraiser supporting Democratic Senate candidates this week. Earlier this year, the AP said, he appeared in a campaign ad with Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek and campaigned in Texas with Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
The Detroit stop is a show of support for El-Sayed, who defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in an August primary by less than a percentage point in a contest the AP described as a national test of the Democratic Party’s ideological direction. El-Sayed drew support from leading progressives including Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, while Stevens was backed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, according to the AP report. Some ads that supported Stevens showed Obama praising her, and she outperformed El-Sayed in Wayne County, winning about 51% of the Democratic primary vote to El-Sayed’s 45%, according to the AP and The Guardian. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
The Guardian reported that El-Sayed, a doctor and former Wayne County health director, ran on Medicare for All and a refusal to take corporate PAC money, and was backed by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. It said he made opposition to US military aid to Israel and criticism of its conduct in Gaza central to his campaign, and has described Israel’s actions there as genocide. The Guardian also reported AIPAC and its allies spent a record-breaking $30m trying to stop him, and that Stevens and her allies outspent El-Sayed’s side nearly nine to one on advertising, according to AdImpact. Obama’s presence matters most in Detroit, which is more than three-quarters Black and where he is still highly popular, The Guardian said. [ 12 ]
El-Sayed now faces Republican Mike Rogers for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, The Hill reported. The Hill said the Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up and Decision Desk HQ labels it lean Democratic, and that DDHQ forecasts Democrats have a 56 percent probability of winning the Senate and a 76 percent chance of winning the House. It also reported that former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Michigan for El-Sayed last month, that Rogers narrowly lost the 2024 Senate election to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, and that Rogers is endorsed by President Trump. [ 4 ]
The Washington Post reported El-Sayed is working to consolidate support among some of the Democratic Party’s most important constituencies before Election Day. Bloomberg reported Obama plans to campaign in Detroit this month to bolster Michigan’s Democratic candidates, particularly El-Sayed, just ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Newsweek reported the rally is less than two weeks before Election Day. [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]
Why it matters
The rally puts Obama on the trail with a progressive nominee in a Senate race the AP and The Guardian describe as one that could decide control of the chamber. The Hill reported Democrats need a net four seats to take the Senate and Decision Desk HQ gives them a 56 percent probability. The event coincides with the start of in-person early voting in Michigan, per The Hill and The Guardian, and is part of a broader Obama push that includes two dozen ads taped last week and a Washington fundraiser this week, according to the AP.
Key facts
- Obama is to campaign in Detroit on Oct. 24 with Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other Michigan Democratic candidates. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
- The Hill and The Guardian reported the rally is set for the first day of in-person early voting in Michigan; Politico and The Guardian reported it comes 10 days before Election Day. [ 1 , 4 , 12 ]
- El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in an August Democratic primary by less than a percentage point. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
- El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat the AP said is expected to help decide which party controls the majority next year. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Obama taped two dozen ads last week for Democratic candidates for governor and Senate, to be released in the coming days and weeks, according to plans shared first with The Associated Press. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Obama will headline a Washington fundraiser supporting Democratic Senate candidates this week. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The Hill reported the Cook Political Report rates the Michigan Senate race a toss-up and Decision Desk HQ puts it under the lean Democratic label. [ 4 ]
- The Guardian reported AIPAC and its allies spent a record-breaking $30m trying to stop El-Sayed, and Stevens and her allies outspent El-Sayed’s side nearly nine to one on advertising, according to AdImpact. [ 12 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Obama will campaign in Detroit with Abdul El-Sayed, Jocelyn Benson and other Michigan Democratic candidates on Oct. 24. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
- El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in an August Democratic primary by less than a percentage point. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
- El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers for an open Senate seat. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Obama taped two dozen ads last week for Democratic candidates for governor and Senate, to be released in the coming days and weeks. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Obama will headline a Washington fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidates this week. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The rally falls on the first day of in-person early voting in Michigan. [ 4 , 12 ]
- El-Sayed drew support from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez; Stevens was backed by Schumer. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the Detroit rally is Obama's only Michigan appearance and when further stops will be announced. The AP and outlets carrying its report say additional campaign stops are expected and will be announced, but give no dates or locations.
- The exact date of Election Day. Bloomberg’s summary states the vote is Nov. 3, while other documents refer to “Election Day” without giving a date.
- Race ratings and forecasting probabilities. The Cook Political Report toss-up rating, the Decision Desk HQ lean-Democratic label and the 56 percent Senate and 76 percent House probabilities appear only in The Hill.
- That the seat is being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, and that Kamala Harris campaigned in Michigan for El-Sayed last month. Both details are reported only by The Hill.
- The Guardian’s report on AIPAC spending $30m and the nearly nine-to-one advertising spending gap, as well as El-Sayed’s positions on Medicare for All and Gaza. These details appear only in The Guardian.
- That some ads supporting Stevens used old footage of Obama praising her and that critics called it misleading. The AP and others report ads showed Obama praising Stevens, but the claim that critics called it misleading appears only in The Guardian.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Politico reports the state party announced Obama will join El-Sayed, Benson and other Michigan Democrats in Detroit on Oct. 24. [ 1 ]
- The Associated Press reports the Detroit event and that more Obama campaign stops and advertisements are expected, in plans shared first with AP; The Seattle Times publishes the same AP report. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Hill reports the rally will kick off the first day of in-person early voting in Michigan. [ 4 ]
- The Boston Globe carries the AP report on the Detroit rally. [ 5 ]
- PBS NewsHour carries the AP report on the Detroit rally. [ 6 ]
- ABC News carries the AP report on the Detroit rally. [ 7 ]
- The New York Post carries the AP report on the Detroit rally. [ 8 ]
- The Washington Post reports El-Sayed is working to consolidate support among key Democratic constituencies before Election Day. [ 9 ]
- Bloomberg reports Obama plans to campaign in Detroit to bolster El-Sayed and other Michigan Democrats just ahead of the Nov. 3 election. [ 10 ]
- Newsweek reports the former president will rally with El-Sayed in Detroit on October 24, less than two weeks before Election Day. [ 11 ]
- The Guardian US reports the rally falls on the first day of in-person early voting and 10 days before election day, with details on primary spending. [ 12 ]
- Obama, El-Sayed, Benson and other Michigan Democratic candidates are scheduled to rally in Detroit, on what The Hill and The Guardian reported is the first day of in-person early voting. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 12 ]