Former Michigan Dem chair urges 'leave it blank' in tight Senate race
Source: NewsNation · All NewsNation reports
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Summary
NewsNation's 'On Balance' interviewed former Michigan Democratic Party chair Lon Johnson, who explained his 'leave it blank' campaign for the U.S. Senate race. Johnson said he will not vote for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed due to concerns over extremism and associations but also refuses to back Republican Mike Rogers over issues like foreign wars, corruption, and trade policy. The segment replayed clips of Rogers accusing El-Sayed of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas donors, with the guest disputing those as untrue or exaggerated while acknowledging legitimate Democratic concerns about El-Sayed. Host Leland Vittert pressed on whether the strategy helps Trump and noted discomfort among some Democrats and Jewish voters with El-Sayed. The discussion highlighted the race's tightness and strategic voting dynamics two weeks before the November 3 election.
Editorial Assessment
The broadcast accurately captured the existence of the 'leave it blank' effort led by disaffected Democrats like Johnson and the close polling in a pivotal Senate race (El-Sayed leads by roughly 2-4 points in recent surveys). Viewers heard a nuanced take from a credible ex-party leader rejecting both candidates, but the segment heavily featured unproven or disputed allegations that El-Sayed's campaign is funded by Hamas or that he is beholden to the Muslim Brotherhood; fact-checks show some donors have indirect links to Islamist-linked groups, but no direct Hamas funding or pledge of support by El-Sayed has been documented. Missing context includes that Rogers has distanced himself from Trump on tariffs and the Iran conflict to appeal to Michigan voters, and that 'Democrats for Rogers' efforts have been funded largely by Republican donors, validating the 'astroturf' critique. The framing risks skewing perceptions toward viewing El-Sayed primarily through a national-security lens while downplaying policy differences on economics and health care. Overall, it provided interesting insider perspective but fell short on rigorously sourcing the most inflammatory claims.
Key Moments
There is dignity in Democrats leaving the Senate race blank rather than voting for El-Sayed or Rogers
Johnson, a former state Democratic chair, publicly co-authored an op-ed and repeated the call on air; similar efforts reported in Detroit News and other outlets targeting Jewish and moderate voters.
Rogers' accusations that El-Sayed is bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood and has Hamas donors are untrue
Multiple fact-checks (Bridge Michigan, PolitiFact) find no evidence El-Sayed pledged support to the Brotherhood and describe donor claims as cherry-picked; some donors have documented links to CAIR, ISNA, or individuals with past Islamist ties, but no direct Hamas funding proven.
Democrats for Rogers is an astroturf campaign that has been caught paying people
FEC filings and reporting from Drop Site News, The Bulwark, and Michigan Democrats show the PAC (rebranded Together for Michigan) is largely funded by Republican super PACs and conservative donors, with some participants having GOP histories.
Haley Stevens would be up by double digits if she had won the primary instead of El-Sayed
Hypothetical; Stevens narrowly lost the primary to El-Sayed (48.5%-47.5%); current general-election polls show El-Sayed leading Rogers by 2-5 points, with no public data on a Stevens-Rogers matchup.
Mike Rogers is not in lockstep with Trump and has broken with him on issues like the Canada trade war
Rogers released ads calling to end the tariff war with Canada and the conflict with Iran, distancing from Trump policies that polls show are unpopular in Michigan; he previously defended tariffs.
Notable Concerns
- Heavy reliance on disputed national security accusations against El-Sayed without independent verification or response from his campaign
- Limited discussion of Rogers' policy record or Trump alignment beyond selected breaks on trade
- Potential to amplify strategic abstention that could affect Senate control without clarifying undervote mechanics or historical impact
Sources Consulted
- Fact check: No evidence Abdul El-Sayed ‘pledged support’ to Muslim Brotherhood
- Fact-check: El-Sayed and Rogers level personal attacks in first Michigan Senate race debate
- Dems urged to 'leave it blank' to stop Abdul El-Sayed
- Michigan Senate polling as Rogers, El-Sayed head into Second debate
- “Democrats for Mike Rogers” PAC Is Funded by Republicans, Records Show
- Mike Rogers breaks with Trump in Michigan Senate race on tariffs, Iran
- Abdul El-Sayed Rakes in Thousands From Muslim Brotherhood-Linked Donors, Records Show