Michigan’s general election for the U.S. Senate reveals a neck-and-neck race between Republican nominee Mike Rogers and Democratic nominee Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, according to a recent AARP poll.
In this fiercely contested race, El-Sayed holds a slim lead, capturing 48 percent of likely voters’ support, compared to Rogers’ 47 percent. Despite this narrow margin, Rogers finds solid backing among voters aged 50 and over, where he leads with 52 percent compared to El-Sayed’s 43 percent.
Particularly notable is Rogers’ commanding performance among older swing voters, individuals who do not consistently vote along party lines. In this group, the AARP poll reports Rogers holds a sizable 33-point lead over his Democratic opponent.
The survey further delves into Michigan’s gubernatorial contest, revealing a more decisive scenario. Democrat Jocelyn Benson, the current Secretary of State, holds a clear advantage over her Republican opponent, Congressman John James.
In the governor’s race, Benson garners the support of 49 percent of all likely voters, whereas 44 percent favor James. Among voters aged 50 and above, James has a slight edge, leading Benson by a mere one point. However, Benson finds substantial support among older swing voters, boasting a 28-point gap over James in this pivotal group.
Overall, the survey found that older voters — particularly those who are not “straight-ticket voters,” could determine the outcome of the elections in these close races.
This coincides with the fact that more of those ages 50+ describe themselves as “extremely motivated” to vote — 86 percent — compared to 71 percent of those ages 18 to 49 who say the same.
The survey was taken August 9-11, 2026, among 877 likely Michigan voters. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percent.
The results follow a recent Fox News poll, also showing Rogers leading El-Sayed in the Senate race by four percentage points, or 51 to 47 percent. That also coincides with a recent EPIC-MIRS poll from the end of last month that has Rogers up by three, 46 to 43 percent.
Rogers has described El-Sayed as an “extremist” who wants to empty prisons and embrace the Muslim Brotherhood, writing in a statement, “I spent years hunting terrorists and bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11.”
Indeed, El-Sayed has embraced support from Hasan Piker, who said, “America deserved 9/11.” Instead of overtly condemning that remark, El-Sayed said that Piker’s words needed to be viewed in “context.”
Further, El-Sayed’s campaign recently confirmed that the Democrat nominee still follows Sharia law in his personal life.