Staff Reports
The Detroit News did something unusual this week: two opinion pieces told disaffected Democrats not to vote for their own party’s Senate nominee, Abdul El‑Sayed. Instead of urging a crossover to the Republican, the columns suggested many Democrats should simply leave the Senate line blank. That is the immediate story — and it matters in a tight Michigan Senate race.
Detroit News tells Democrats to “leave it blank”
Former Michigan Democratic Party chair Lon Johnson and Democratic fundraiser David Kramer co‑authored an op‑ed saying they won’t vote for Abdul El‑Sayed. Nolan Finley, a separate columnist at the same paper, made a similar point. Their argument was blunt: party unity is not automatic, and after a bruising primary El‑Sayed “has failed that test. As a result, we will not vote for Abdul El‑Sayed.” For many of them, the paper said, “leaving the ballot blank is an act of dignity.” Those are strong words for a newspaper that used to be the go‑to endorsement source in Detroit.
Why they gave up on Abdul El‑Sayed
The op‑eds point to real flashpoints. Critics cite El‑Sayed’s debate answer when he declined to name whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat, calling the question “a ridiculous hypothetical” and saying both countries “have proven dangerous in their own way.” That response — plus other comments about Israel and groups like AIPAC — has made Jewish voters and some longtime Democrats uneasy. Community leaders pressed for clearer answers, and the op‑eds used that unease to justify urging abstention rather than support.
Electoral math: blank vs. crossover
How a blank vote changes the count
The columnists are playing tactical chess, not virtue signaling. Persuading a Democrat to vote Republican nets the GOP two votes compared with the Democratic baseline; getting that same Democrat to leave the line blank instead only cuts one Democratic vote. In a close statewide contest, those single votes add up. The Detroit News has already shown its colors in this race by endorsing the Republican candidate, so its urging disaffected Democrats to abstain is both a slap at El‑Sayed and a political play with real consequences.
What this means for the fall — and for Democrats
This is a public test of party discipline. Democrats who say they can’t back El‑Sayed now must decide whether to punish him by handing Republicans a win or by quietly abstaining and hoping their protest doesn’t change the outcome. Either way, the headline is ugly for Democrats: they are loudly debating whether to vote their party ticket. For conservatives watching, the Detroit News op‑eds are manna — a reminder that messy primaries and awkward rhetoric have real fallout. Voters should take the op‑eds at face value: this race is closer than some polls suggest, and a blank ballot can be a surprisingly potent political weapon.
