At a University of Michigan town hall, Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed did not directly condemn Iran’s Revolutionary Guard when asked by Iman Dashti; he said he backs democratic movements and opposes U.S. involvement in regime change.
Dashti, who identified himself as Persian, said his family had been persecuted by Tehran’s regime. He said leaked audio in which El-Sayed did not want to comment on former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death after U.S. strikes left him dismayed; El-Sayed had said many people in Dearborn were sad.
Republican rival Mike Rogers criticized El-Sayed’s response on X. Newsweek said it had contacted El-Sayed’s office for comment. Cook Political Report rated Michigan’s Senate race a toss-up; a Pollsmax average cited by Newsweek put El-Sayed at 46.4% and Rogers at 44.8% as of Thursday.
