What's happened
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has hired Lenore Goldman, a veteran Jewish liaison, to bolster support among Jewish voters in Michigan as he runs in a tight U.S. Senate race. Goldman has ties to Jewish groups and advocacy movements and says she began working with the campaign in September, with public confirmation coming from JTA.
What's behind the headline?
Why this matters now
- The hire signals a targeted effort to win over Jewish voters amid debates over U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza. It follows a pattern in which campaigns add outreach roles to swing communities ahead of elections.
- The move could influence Jewish voter turnout in Michigan, potentially narrowing or widening the gap depending on how outreach is received.
- The timing matters: the campaign is defending a slim lead while facing scrutiny over past associations and statements about Israel.
What to watch next
- Will Goldman’s outreach translate into measurable shifts in polling or turnout among Jewish Michiganders?
- How will opponents respond with their own messaging around security, Israel, and loyalty?
How we got here
El-Sayed, who has criticized U.S. ties to Israel, is in a close Senate race with Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan ahead of the November midterms. The hiring follows earlier reporting that the campaign sought a Jewish liaison to Michigan’s Jewish community. Polls show a tight race with El-Sayed leading Rogers by a small margin within the margin of error.
Our analysis
The New Arab reports on Goldman’s appointment and the context of El-Sayed’s campaign, while The Times of Israel provides background on Goldman’s career and the broader political environment in Michigan. Both note El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel and ongoing debates over antisemitism and campaign tactics.
Go deeper
- What impact could Goldman’s outreach have on the Michigan race?
- Will other candidates mirror this strategy with targeted outreach teams?
More on these topics
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Michigan - US State
Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States. Its name comes from the Ojibwe word mishigami, meaning "large water" or "large lake".
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Abdul El-Sayed - American public health professor and politician
Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed (born October 31, 1984) is an American epidemiologist, politician, and former public health official and academic. He was the director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services of Wayne County, Michigan, from 2023 to 2025. A progressive Democrat, he was a candidate for governor of Michigan in the 2018 election. El-Sayed is running for the Democratic nomination in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan. El-Sayed is a graduate of the University of Michigan and University of Oxford's Oriel College, attending them on a full-tuition scholarship and a Rhodes Scholarship, respectively. He earned his MD at Columbia University. In his athletic career, he earned a full blue as captain of Oxford's men's lacrosse team. El-Sayed was an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University from 2014 to 2015. He was the executive director of the Detroit Health Department and Health Officer for the City of Detroit from 2015 to 2017.