Michigan Senate Candidate Avoids Comments on Iran Leader's Death

Abdul El-Sayed says audio clip about Dearborn residents is a 'distraction' in campaign

Apr. 1, 2026 at 1:01am

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A Michigan Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, said a recording in which he told campaign staff he wouldn't comment on the death of Iran's supreme leader because it made people in Dearborn sad is calling the audio a 'distraction' in his campaign.

Why it matters

El-Sayed's comments about avoiding discussion of the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have drawn scrutiny, as the Dearborn area has a large Muslim and Arab-American population that could be a key voting bloc in the Senate race.

The details

In the audio clip, El-Sayed is heard telling campaign staff that he would not be commenting on Khamenei's death because 'it makes people in Dearborn sad.' El-Sayed has characterized the recording as a 'distraction' from the core issues of his campaign.

  • The audio clip surfaced on April 1, 2026.

The players

Abdul El-Sayed

A Michigan Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The former supreme leader of Iran who died recently.

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What they’re saying

“It makes people in Dearborn sad.”

— Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senate Candidate

The takeaway

El-Sayed's comments highlight the political sensitivities around foreign policy issues, especially those involving the Middle East, in a tight Senate race in Michigan.