Abdul El-Sayed and Jamie Raskin sidestep Hasan Piker, and Israel, in Michigan campaign stops
(JTA) — ANN ARBOR – As Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed made campaign stops with a prominent Jewish congressional leader on Wednesday, there was one subject neither he, nor his Democratic allies onstage, were…
Assessment
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Jamie Raskin actively avoided discussing progressive commentator Hasan Piker during joint campaign events, with Representative Debbie Dingell publicly telling reporters not to ask about him. The subject of Israel also went unaddressed. This suggests the campaign sees Piker's presence as a liability that could alienate voters, and that the Israel question remains a minefield for Democratic candidates in a state with a significant Arab American population. Watch whether El-Sayed is forced to address either topic before the primary.