Lifelong Jewish Democrats in the Detroit suburbs are voting for the Republican candidate in the Michigan Senate race for the first time in their lives.
Posted by Badlands Media, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
Badlands MediaOct 21, 2026
Sources support that some lifelong Jewish Democrats in the Detroit suburbs were switching to Republican Mike Rogers before the claim date, and one source says they were voting Republican for the first time ever, though hedged as "possibly." No source quantifies how many, and the claim's wording is broader than the post's "saying" framing.
Our two reads of who says this, and how, disagree, so it counts as the post's own claim.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… He's a he's a Democrat advisor talking about the El sayed race in in Michigan and how, uh, Democrats are gonna cross over to vote for Republicans as a result of the guy's beliefs. Well, so I grew up not far from where El said is from, and one of the factors in this race that is really worth paying closer attention to are the number of Democrats, lifelong Jewish Democrats especially in the Detroit suburbs, who are saying, for the first time in their lives, they're voting Republican. That's a big deal. I don't know of any other marquee race in the country right now where the Republican candidate is converting Democrats. …
Badlands Media · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reports that some Jewish voters who typically lean left are switching to Mike Rogers, and that some Jewish Democrats in the Detroit suburbs are weighing whether to back El-Sayed.[1][3]
Supports. Deseret News reports that some Michigan Jewish Democrats may back a Republican candidate "possibly for the first time ever," a hedged match to the claim's first-time element.[4]
Supports. A lifelong Democrat, Mark Whitefield, says he will be among Jewish Democrats casting ballots for Rogers, though the article is dated after the claim date.[5]
Context. Reporting from Oct 21 and later describes the switching as a growing but unquantified trend, with some Jewish Democrats still undecided or not voting for El-Sayed rather than clearly voting Republican.[2][4][6]
Context. The Oct 19 Mediaite and Yahoo items repeat the New York Times reporter's quote, which is the claimant's source and provides no independent corroboration.[7][8]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 6 not rated
- 1Bitter Michigan Senate race rattles Jewish and Muslim votersapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Divided over Israel, Detroit Democrats unite on rising costs for midterm electionsreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3A bitter Michigan Senate race rattles Jewish and Muslim ...winnipegfreepress.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Faith over party: Michigan Senate race divides Jewish votersdeseret.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 5Lifelong Democrat voting Republican as fear of Abdul El-Sayed keeps him ‘up at nthe-express.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Michigan Senate race puts Jewish voters at center of Rogers ...timesofisrael.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 7'A Big Deal!' NYT Reporter Warns Polling May Not Be ...yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 8‘A Big Deal!' NYT Reporter Warns Polling May Not Be Picking Up Democrats Voting Against El-Sayedmediaite.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Lifelong Jewish Democrats in Michigan are rethinking their votes for the 2026 midterms.True
- The Senate race in Michigan is being shaped by the conflict in the Middle East as a touchstone issue for voters.True
- Muslims are winning elections in Michigan.True
- Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary centers on Abdul El-Sayed’s alliance with Hasan Piker and the party’s growing socialist wing.Can’t tell
- Historically, between two-thirds and 70% of Jewish voters align with the Democratic Party.Mixed