Kamala Harris returned to Michigan with a message that was about more than one Senate race. Standing alongside Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, the former vice president urged Democrats to put aside disagreements and stay engaged in the 2026 midterm elections.
Her appearance came after a divisive Democratic primary in which El-Sayed defeated establishment-backed rival Haley Stevens. It also brought Harris back to a state where Democrats still face the political effects of the 2024 election and disagreements over U.S. policy toward Israel.
At an NAACP forum Tuesday evening, Harris described the midterms as a possible “stopgap” during Donald Trump’s second presidency and made an unusually direct appeal to voters who may not feel enthusiastic about their party’s nominee.
“It’s OK to not be in love with a candidate,” Harris told several hundred attendees. “It’s OK to vote and ask everybody else to vote because this choice is better than that one. That’s what gets you where you need to go.”
The message underscored the challenge facing El-Sayed as he tries to bring together Democrats with different priorities before facing Republican Mike Rogers.
Why did Kamala Harris campaign with El-Sayed?
Earlier Tuesday, Harris appeared with El-Sayed at a roundtable focused on Black maternal mortality and health care. The discussion itself did not directly address Trump or the disagreements that have complicated the Michigan Senate race.
“I’m here to support Dr. El-Sayed because on this subject, I know he will be a champion,” Harris said of El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit public health chief.
El-Sayed did not attend the later NAACP event, but he presented Harris’ visit as an effort to strengthen the Democratic coalition.
“We’re building an electoral coalition here,” El-Sayed said, pointing to their shared focus on the economy.
He also argued that the divisions surrounding the 2024 election showed why Democrats needed to find areas of agreement.
“The 2024 election “ended where it did because we could not find the places of agreement to be able to bring people together or move in the direction that we need to move,” El-Sayed said.
The Associated Press reported that Harris’ visit was intended to help El-Sayed appeal to voters across the Democratic coalition, particularly in Wayne County.
Can Harris and El-Sayed bridge their differences?
Their joint appearance was notable because the two Democrats have not always agreed on U.S. policy toward Israel. El-Sayed has called Israel’s military actions in Gaza a genocide, a characterization rejected by Israel’s government. Harris and the Biden administration supported U.S. military aid to Israel, a position that contributed to tensions with some progressive and Arab American voters in Michigan. El-Sayed sought to emphasize common ground Tuesday.
“I think I speak for all of us when I say, ‘Come on back,’” he told Harris after the health roundtable.
The effort comes as El-Sayed tries to attract Black voters who supported Stevens during the primary, while also navigating concerns among white Jewish voters who typically support Democrats.
Barry Goodman, a Democratic National Committee member and Michigan fundraiser who supported Stevens, said some Jewish Democrats were “holding our noses and voting for Abdul” because they “believe in the Democratic ticket and they believe that one man can help win the Senate but can’t destroy the Senate.”
El-Sayed has also apologized for some previous controversial comments and said he is committed to Jewish safety.
Why is Michigan important to both Democrats and Harris?
The Michigan Senate contest is being watched as Democrats seek control of the chamber. The seat opened after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced his retirement, and El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers.
Rogers’ campaign criticized Harris’ appearance through spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet, who said, “Abdul is so desperate that he’s parachuting Kamala Harris into Michigan to save his flailing campaign.”
For Harris, the Michigan trip carries another dimension. She is considering whether to seek the presidency again in 2028, and Michigan is scheduled to become the fifth presidential preference primary on the Democrats’ revised 2028 calendar.
At the NAACP event, Harris acknowledged that some voters were still “carrying some pain” from the 2024 election but urged Black voters not to withdraw from politics.
“If you want to get elected, you have to come to us and through us,” Harris said. “We have got to turn out the vote in large numbers,” she added to applause. “We’ve got to be too big to rig.”
Her Michigan appearance therefore placed two issues side by side, El-Sayed’s effort to bring together a Democratic coalition after a bruising primary, and Harris’ continuing presence in a state that remains important to her political future. Ahead of November’s election, Harris also has campaign stops planned in Nevada and Georgia.
FAQs
Why did Kamala Harris visit Michigan?She campaigned for Abdul El-Sayed and urged Democrats to unite and turn out for the midterms.
Who is Abdul El-Sayed running against?
El-Sayed is facing Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in Michigan.
