Voters in Detroit: 'It's not politics anymore, it's become personal'

The state of Michigan and the city of Detroit have been in focus all fall. Many believe that the distribution of power in Congress is decided right here.

But the spotlight has been on it even more in the past two days since Democrat Haley Stevens surprisingly endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic candidate, and he beat Stevens in the primary last summer.

Outside a church in north Detroit, we meet voter Colleen Farm. She is visibly disturbed by the internal squabble between El-Sayed and Stevens.

- It's not politics anymore, it's become personal. So I actually don't really know who to vote for, she says.

More than three-quarters of Detroit's population is African-American, and a large majority of them tend to vote Democratic. But in the primaries, most people supported Haley Stevens, the one who dropped out the other day.

Some are skeptical of El-Sayed because of his Muslim faith.

- I vote for him, but at the same time I have questions, says Carlene Davidson.

- For me, Islam is a religion that does not always tolerate other religions. But I'm willing to give Abdul a chance, his suggestions on the economy are good.

El-Sayed himself has tried to wave away the quarrel with Haley Stevens. On Sunday, he said he's focusing on everyone else in Michigan except her.

Kate St Germain thinks he is doing the right thing and calls the argument "a distraction".

- Lowering our living costs is what is important. Everything else just doesn't matter.

DN is on site when the polling stations open, at 7 in the morning. And several election workers we speak to in two different locations say they estimate turnout to be higher than the last time, in the 2024 presidential election.

The polling stations in Michigan don't close until 8 p.m. - that's 2 a.m. Wednesday morning Swedish time. As it is very even in the polls, the result in the senate election here can take many hours.

We wait for a while outside the polling station at Bethany Lutheran Church. Colleen Farm, who was undecided whether to vote Democratic or Republican, has promised to announce her final decision.

After twenty minutes she comes out and walks towards her car. Who was it?

- Abdul, she replies. It still feels good.