# Senate races 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 28, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534 "2025-01-28T15:04:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 63
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1242 "2026-11-02T01:34:18Z")
Checks which thread I am in in. Not Pit. So I’ll keep it nice. I’ve spelled out the whole phrase maybe a dozen times that I have written it. No I am not misrepresenting anything. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1243 "2026-11-02T01:37:46Z")
It’s funny - the only defenders of Stevens I’ve seen, anywhere online, are either openly MAGA or are in this thread. And I’ve been looking! Stevens has managed to unite the party around El-Sayed. And against her. Not only has she lost her staff, and her party membership, but she’s been removed from access to every functional connection to the Democratic party institutions (including critically vital things like fundraising databases!). ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1244 "2026-11-02T01:38:47Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > defenders of Stevens Now THIS is misrepresentation. ETA. AGAIN. She is awful. And AES handled an easy situation, an opportunity, horribly. Stupidly. Possibly because he actually IS an antisemite. It is the simplest explanation for his failure to respond in any way of acknowledging the issues. And that said I STILL want him to win. Yes Rogers is worse and Senate leadership matters that much. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1245 "2026-11-02T01:39:35Z")
You’ve suggested she did this out of principle. Other than MAGA (and this thread), I can’t find a single person out there saying this. Maybe there is one, somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1246 "2026-11-02T01:52:09Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > It is the simplest explanation for his failure to respond in any way of acknowledging the issues. Politics is a much simpler explanation. The Carlson ad was good politics. Ignoring the Cenk troll was good politics. Rejecting Stevens’ bad faith demands was good politics. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1247 "2026-11-02T01:53:47Z")
IMO, El-Sayed doesn’t need to and isn’t responsible for individually condemning every Muslim who says something stupid any more than Jon Ossoff needs to publicly disavow Ben Shapiro and Dennis Prager. It’s just assigning him collective responsibility on the basis of his religion and ethnicity. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1248 "2026-11-02T01:55:09Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > ETA. AGAIN. She is awful. And AES handled an easy situation, an opportunity, horribly. Stupidly. Possibly because he actually IS an antisemite. It is the simplest explanation for his failure to respond in any way of acknowledging the issues. There are only two explanations. Either he himself is an antisemite who holds these beliefs, or he has made the political calculation that appealing to antisemites who hold these beliefs is more important than appealing to Jews. Either option is extremely troubling. > [@DSeid](#): > > And that said I STILL want him to win. Yes Rogers is worse and Senate leadership matters that much. Correct. Keeping the Jan 6 party from controlling the Senate is of paramount importance. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1249 "2026-11-02T01:56:40Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > IMO, El-Sayed doesn’t need to and isn’t responsible for individually condemning every Muslim who says something stupid any more than Jon Ossoff needs to publicly disavow Ben Shapiro and Dennis Prager. It’s just assigning him collective responsibility on the basis of his religion and ethnicity. Weren’t you the first person to point out how problematic Cenk’s ad was (after some other posters praises it)? I agree that he doesn’t need to condemn every random antisemite, Muslim or otherwise. But this is about an ad that named him and attached him to certain policies. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1250 "2026-11-02T01:58:07Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > But surely you can understand why I, or Stevens, or @DSeid, might have grave concerns about the direction in which the winds are blowing if this is the future of the Democratic party. As he said in the other thread, **if** where we are headed is a party that is happy to dismiss the concerns of the Jewish community … (my diaresis) I understand your concern academically, but do not share your experiences and sensibilities. Keeping to the thread’s topic, El-Sayed is one politician running in one state’s US senate race. It’s premature to consider his political fortunes a harbinger of what’s to come for the entire party. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1251 "2026-11-02T01:58:44Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > It’s premature to consider his political fortunes a harbinger of what’s to come for the entire party. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1252 "2026-11-02T02:03:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s funny - the only defenders of Stevens I’ve seen, anywhere online, are either openly MAGA or are in this thread. And I’ve been looking! > > Stevens has managed to unite the party around El-Sayed. And against her. Not only has she lost her staff, and her party membership, but she’s been removed from access to every functional connection to the Democratic party institutions (including critically vital things like fundraising databases!). This is highly suggestive that his campaign’s mathematical analysis and El-Sayed’s public response to the recent political attacks have been optimal. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1253 "2026-11-02T02:05:23Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > As I said above: > > Babale: Yes, I know, but your cite claimed that. > [@Procrustus](#): > > The basic idea that budgets are tight and the billions we send to Isreal could be better spent in the US for schools and healthcare is not bigotry. Look up the US budget= $7.0 **trillion** , then the aid to Israel= $3.3 billion in 2025- and then do the math. It is a rounding error. also Ukraine ($6.75 billion), Jordan ($1.65 billion), etc > **[What countries receive the most foreign aid from the US? | USAFacts](https://usafacts.org/answers/what-countries-receive-the-most-foreign-aid-from-the-us/country/united-states/)** > > In fiscal year (FY) 2025 — the most recent fully-reported year — Ukraine received $6.75 billion, the most of any country. This amount reflects disbursements, a measure of foreign aid that captures when money is actually transferred out of US... > 177 of the 196 countries recognized by the US Department of State received aid. And for all those, every one, in total- US Foreign aid is about 1% of the total budget. Total is about $50 billion. > [@Babale](#): > > Then why make it about Israel? Right. Why Israel, why not _all_ foreign aid, why not Jordan? > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The cost of the war in Iran absolutely is a lot, even relative to these large issues Well, not a lot, but yeah nearly $50 Billion is just about the entire foreign aid budget. So, that is many times the aid to Israel, so a better target. Remember- 1000 billions in a Trillion. Skipping over Musks weird bogus math- _real_ experts figure $162 Billion in waste and between $233 billion and $521 billion in fraud. There is a much better target. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1254 "2026-11-02T02:12:39Z")
On the bright side, Nate Silver estimates about 40% of the total votes in that election have already been cast, so any harm this does do will be somewhat blunted, ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1255 "2026-11-02T02:13:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, I know, but your cite claimed that. And the cite is correct. “I wouldn’t vote for Mike Rogers if there was a gun to my head” is NOT an endorsement of Rogers’ opponent in the same way that Cenk’s ad was NOT antisemitic. It very much is an endorsement and the ad very much was anti-semitic. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1256 "2026-11-02T02:17:33Z")
Did Carlson say he would vote for El-Sayed? If not, that’s not an endorsement. I assume AES is running that ad in the hopes that MAGA voters will stay home, not that they will actually vote Democratic. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1257 "2026-11-02T02:24:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Babale](#): > > > > Then why make it about Israel? > > Right. Why Israel, why not _all_ foreign aid, why not Jordan? Some people don’t like what Isreal is doing with the money. I haven’t heard the same about Jordan. Or Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1258 "2026-11-02T02:27:48Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Did Carlson say he would vote for El-Sayed? He did not admit to planning to commit voter fraud, which considering that he doesn’t live in Michigan would be the only way for him to vote for either El Sayed or Rogers. He _has_ repeatedly praised El Sayed, in ways El Sayed would probably be a bit less proud of: [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6069453-tucker-carlson-el-sayed-campaign-trumpian/](https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6069453-tucker-carlson-el-sayed-campaign-trumpian/) And the same ad where he says that he wouldn’t vote for Rogers at gunpoint also has him praising El Sayed as charismatic, a good speaker, and someone who “beat the machine”. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1259 "2026-11-02T02:37:13Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Weren’t you the first person to point out how problematic Cenk’s ad was (after some other posters praises it)? Yes, but I never said it was El-Sayed’s responsibility or that it accurately reflected anything about him. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1260 "2026-11-02T02:39:14Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > There are Americans (including American Jews) who don’t think it’s good for us, Isreal, or the Palestinians for the US to send so much aid to Isreal. Leaving out the Palestinians, so long as the reduction is gradual, even Netanyahu might agree. Of course, it isn’t sent to Israel, but to American arms manufacturers. I’d like to say that a lot then goes back into the U.S. Treasury in taxes, but maybe it is now as likely to go into funding the ballroom and the Trump library AKA hotel. El-Sayed says: [I don’t think we should be funding foreign militaries generally,” El-Sayed says. “That’s Israel. It’s also Egypt. It’s also Saudi Arabia and Qatar and UAE.”](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/senate-candidate-el-sayed-i-oppose-funding-all-foreign-militaries-not-just-israel/) Ukraine? No, he’s said elsewhere he supports that. Jordan? It looks to me that as a percent of GDP, our foreign military aid to them is higher than with Israel or Egypt, and El-Sayed has said elsewhere he’s against aid to Jordan. I’m not an expert on El-Sayed, although I’ve read a few soundbites from both Michigan candidates that might make it impossible for me to vote for either, if I lived there. As for El-Sayed’s proposal on ending military aid, I have a feeling the practical effect, good or bad, would be greater with regard to most of the foreign countries affected other than Israel. In the Biden administration, I do not think aid numbers were all, or mostly, due to lobbying. There were actual foreign policy area experts that had real defensible reasons for both soft and hard foreign aid numbers. One former senator who I believe actually understood this stuff, better than El-Sayed, is Kamala Harris (based partly on bits I read [in here](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/843630/brink-by-brett-mcgurk/)). Populist bashing of foreign aid is always suspect to me, even military aid. ---
**Author:** ![ZosterSandstorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e0b2c6/32.png) [@ZosterSandstorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZosterSandstorm)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534/1261 "2026-11-02T03:15:15Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Some of us think MAGA is really, really bad, and helping MAGA is much, much worse than whatever nonsense grifting trolls are going on about. Now, obviously, the “us” referred to here does not include El-Sayed’s core base of support in Michigan, which spent the 2024 election telling people to vote for Trump instead of “Genocide Joe and Holocaust Harris.” But, apparently, we must trust that there is some “us,” somewhere, that believes this. > [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > And there have been plenty of pro-Rogers ads that call Abdul a terrorist There have been no such ads applying that word to Sayed. Abdul merely _supports_ Muslim Brotherhood governance, driving explosive cars into Jewish preschools to do mass shootings, and blaming Jews for stealing your bananas. He has never _personally_ carried out any of the jihadi schemes that he and his base admire, and there is no Rogers ad that has claimed otherwise. > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Did Carlson say he would vote for El-Sayed? If not, that’s not an endorsement. I assume AES is running that ad in the hopes that MAGA voters will stay home, not that they will actually vote Democratic. He is running the ad to signal that he is the candidate of Tucker Carlson’s Nazi base, which has always been the case, and to re-emphasize the central tenets of his campaign, which are The Cause of Every Problem is Noun Verb AIPAC and Fuck Jews. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534.md?page=62) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-races-2026/1013534.md?page=64)