Former President Barack Obama will campaign alongside Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit later this month, lending his support to the progressive nominee after a bruising Democratic primary exposed divisions within the party.
Obama will appear with El-Sayed at an Oct. 24 rally that will also feature other top Democratic candidates in Michigan, including Jocelyn Benson, the party’s nominee for governor. Obama is getting significantly more involved in the midterm elections, with additional campaign stops and advertisements expected to come in the closing weeks, according to plans shared first with The Associated Press.
The Detroit event is a notable show of support for El-Sayed, who defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in an August primary and has since worked to consolidate Democratic support in his race against Republican Mike Rogers. The open seat is expected to be among a handful that will decide which party controls the majority next year.
Obama taped two dozen ads last week for Democratic candidates for governor and Senate that will be released in the coming days and weeks, in addition to more campaign stops soon to be announced.
He appeared earlier this year in a campaign ad with Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek and campaigned in Texas with Senate candidate James Talarico and the candidate for governor, Gina Hinojosa. This week, he will headline a Washington fundraiser supporting Democratic Senate candidates.
Obama aims to help El-Sayed shore up support in a key area
El-Sayed defeated Stevens by less than a percentage point in a primary that became a national test of the Democratic Party’s ideological direction. El-Sayed drew support from leading progressives, including Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Stevens was backed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
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 compared with 45% for El-Sayed. The county includes Detroit, where more than three-quarters of residents are Black.
Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian person to serve as vice president, campaigned with El-Sayed last month.
Now the Oct. 24 rally with Obama, the first Black president, could give El-Sayed a boost on the first day of Michigan’s required early in-person voting period. Obama spoke with El-Sayed by phone following his primary victory.
It will also be a boost for the other candidates in what is one of the most consequential elections in recent Michigan history. There are open races for governor, secretary of state and attorney general, in addition to control of the state legislature being at play.
Benson, who will also appear with Obama, is facing Republican Rep. John James in the race for governor.
Benson and James are set to debate for the first time on Tuesday, and El-Sayed and Rogers are scheduled to debate for the first time on Oct. 8.
Obama returns to the campaign trail for the closing stretch
Obama has been selective in his involvement in the midterms so far, but his planned ramp-up in the final weeks follows a pattern from recent elections. He campaigned in Detroit on Oct. 22 during the 2024 presidential election and was in the city Oct. 29 during the 2022 midterms.
His campaign appearances can draw large crowds and prominent guests. Rapper Eminem introduced Obama at his Detroit rally in 2024.
This week, he will headline an event with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that will include a conversation with Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester. That follows a September event with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
