Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed challenged his GOP opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.), to a duel on the gridiron amid debate about the progressive’s views on football.
During an appearance on Fox News this week, Rogers said “you can almost hear a collective gasp across Michigan for all the things he’s been hating on.”
“He’s advocating doing away with our fireworks, football, the Fourth of July,” the Republican Senate hopeful added. “This guy spent hours hating on what most Michiganders in their pastimes.”
El-Sayed responded Wednesday in a post on social media.
“Since you’re too afraid to debate me, how about you ‘hold me accountable’ on a football field instead,” he wrote. “Tackle, no pads like we used to play when we were kids. I’d be happy to show you much I love football.”
Republicans have sought to highlight deleted YouTube clips of the Democrat suggesting fireworks could be harmful to soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorder and in conversation with a sports analyst who said football doesn’t have direct ties to slavery but operates in an environment that resembles “sharecropping,” where players benefit the least financially from a strenuous and physically demanding sport.
The campaign has pushed back on the videos, calling them “cherry picked” to make the candidate look unflattering.
El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in a tightly contested primary earlier this month and has challenged Rogers to debate him. The Republican has not agreed to such a forum.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
