Vice President JD Vance criticized Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s Senate race, during a campaign event in Middletown, Ohio, on Friday. Vance framed El-Sayed’s past remarks about Sharia law as emblematic of a Democratic Party that has strayed from its working-class roots.
Speaking at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant, where his grandfather once worked, Vance argued that modern Democrats prioritize graduate students and elite interests over union workers and manufacturing laborers. He cited El-Sayed’s 2022 speech to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as evidence of this shift. In that speech, El-Sayed linked criticisms of Sharia law to white supremacy, a claim Vance described as incompatible with the Democratic Party’s historical ties to labor unions.
"This is the party of graduate students rather than the union and non-union workers who make this facility run," Vance said. "It’s sometimes actually hard to understand what these modern Democrats actually stand for."
Vance’s remarks came as part of a broader critique of Democratic Senate candidates, including Sherrod Brown of Ohio, whom he accused of abandoning the party’s working-class identity. He contrasted this with his announcement of a $1 billion investment by Cleveland-Cliffs, which he said would modernize the plant’s operations and create jobs.
El-Sayed, the son of Muslim Egyptian immigrants, has defended his past comments, stating they were taken out of context. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for further clarification.
The event highlighted tensions in the Michigan Senate race, where El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers. Control of the Senate could hinge on the outcome of this contest, with Vance’s remarks underscoring the broader political divide over cultural and economic issues.
Vance’s speech also revisited his grandfather’s legacy as a union welder who voted Democratic, framing the party’s evolution as a departure from its historical commitments to labor.
The midterm elections have centered on affordability concerns, including rising costs for groceries, housing, and gas, which Vance linked to the Democratic Party’s alleged focus on elite priorities.
In his address, Vance also praised Republican candidates in Ohio and Michigan, including Sen. John Husted (R-OH), as representatives of a party aligned with working-class values.
The event concluded with Vance emphasizing the economic benefits of the Cleveland-Cliffs investment, including upgrades to the plant’s ironmaking furnace and improvements to air quality in Middletown.
El-Sayed’s past remarks on Sharia law were first reported in 2022, when he criticized a ballot measure in Oklahoma that sought to ban Sharia law in state courts. He argued that such criticisms were rooted in Islamophobia and white supremacy.
The Michigan Senate race remains one of the most competitive in the country, with polls showing a tight contest between El-Sayed and Rogers.