Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed became involved in a tense election-day confrontation with a British journalist, placing his hands on the reporter’s shoulders before saying he had no interest in questions from someone unable to vote in Michigan.
The dispute took place Tuesday as El-Sayed prepared for a closely watched contest against Republican Mike Rogers, one of the defining Senate races of the midterm elections.
During the exchange with Sky News US correspondent James Matthews, El-Sayed appeared increasingly irritated and accused the journalist of repeatedly following him.
“Are you registered to vote in the state of Michigan?” El-Sayed asked.
After Matthews confirmed that he was not, El-Sayed responded: “Then why would I care to have a conversation with you?”
Matthews said he was covering an election whose implications extended beyond the state, arguing that the outcome “matters to the world.”
El-Sayed rejected that argument.
“You know how many votes I want to get into the UK? Zero,” the candidate said. “I do not care what you think or the questions you ask.”
Abdul El-Sayed placed both hands on Sky News reporter James Matthews’ shoulders during the tense election-day exchange, accusing him of “chasing” him
As the confrontation grew more uncomfortable, El-Sayed put both hands on Matthews’ shoulders.
“I’m asking you to stop chasing me around,” he said before leaving the scene.
The incident was recorded and published by Sky News, creating a striking final-day moment for a candidate already dealing with tensions inside the Democratic Party.
El-Sayed, 41, is seeking to unseat Rogers, a former Republican congressman endorsed by President Donald Trump, in the race for the Senate seat being left open by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
The Michigan Senate contest carries national significance as Democrats try to reclaim control of the chamber. The state is widely regarded as one the party cannot afford to lose.
The confrontation came only two days after Congresswoman Haley Stevens, El-Sayed’s former Democratic primary rival, surprised party leaders by endorsing Rogers.
Stevens narrowly lost to El-Sayed in August. On Sunday, following a bitter disagreement over her role in his campaign, she announced that she would support the Republican candidate.
Her dramatic shift followed her exclusion from a planned unity event featuring El-Sayed.
El-Sayed had placed both hands on Matthews’ shoulders as the increasingly tense encounter continued.
The exchange, recorded and shared by Sky News, became a dramatic final-day distraction for a candidate facing growing turmoil within his own party
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed visited a polling precinct on the campus of the University of Michigan on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan
El-Sayed is running against GOP candidate Mike Rogers for the open US Senate seat
Rather than rallying behind the Democratic nominee, she appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church before publicly throwing her support behind him.
Her decision sent shockwaves through Michigan’s Democratic establishment, prompting fierce condemnation from party leaders.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was among those criticizing Stevens, while her longtime chief of staff resigned following the announcement.
The Michigan Democratic Party subsequently expelled Stevens, turning an already bitter primary rivalry into a full-blown election-eve crisis.
The Democrat entered election day with a lead in several major opinion polls, although surveys showed considerable differences in the size of his advantage.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted through November 1 put El-Sayed ahead of Rogers by 53 percent to 42 percent.
Other surveys suggested a much narrower contest, including a Trafalgar Group poll placing the candidates just one percentage point apart.