# Spurned by MAGA attacks, Arab-American voters defect to Democrats 

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/spurned-by-maga-attacks-arab-american-voters-defect-to-democrats/
- Published: 2026-10-28T13:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:47:16+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6176070-arab-voters-leaving-gop/
- Topics: Americas, Elections, Middle East, Politics, World

## Key points

- A survey found Arab-American voters favouring Democrats for Congress by 59% to 26%.
- Republican rhetoric about a Michigan Senate candidate has drawn criticism from a former Trump organiser.
- Gaza remains a major test for Democrats seeking lasting support.

## Summary

A poll of likely Arab-American voters ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections found that 59% intended to vote for a Democratic congressional candidate, compared with 26% for a Republican. The finding points to renewed Democratic support after many Arab-American voters turned away from the party in 2024 over the Biden administration’s backing of Israel during the war in Gaza. The online survey of 500 voters was conducted on 16–23 October and has a reported margin of error of 4.5 percentage points. It measures voting intentions, not election results.

Republican attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed have sharpened the debate. Donald Trump’s remarks about El-Sayed drew criticism even from Bishara Bahbah, who helped organise Trump’s Arab-American outreach in 2024 and said attacks based on religion were unacceptable. In the poll, 53% said rising anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hostility made them more likely to take part in politics. The shift should not be read as unconditional support for Democrats: 31% identified as independents, while 90% said Gaza would matter to their vote in the 2028 presidential election.

## Coverage

- [The Hill: Spurned by MAGA attacks, Arab-American voters defect to Democrats ](https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6176070-arab-voters-leaving-gop/)
- [Arab American Institute: The Arab American Vote in 2026 Midterms](https://www.aaiusa.org/library/arab-american-vote-2026)

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.