El-Sayed Once Trashed Beloved Michigan Vacation Destination

Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed ranted about one of the state’s most beloved vacation spots and complained about being forced to travel there for his campaign. 

“I hate Mackinac so much,” he said in a 2020 documentary that followed his failed run for governor. “Every time I’ve ever come here I’ve hated it. Why am I here?”

In the clip, which was posted by The Midwesterner on Friday, El-Sayed added that if he won the gubernatorial race, Mackinac Island would become his summer home. The car-free island is home to the Michigan governor’s official summer residence, a property the state has used to host political events since 1945. With no motor vehicles allowed on the island, travel is restricted to horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and on foot. 

El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on why he dislikes one of Michigan’s most beloved and historical landmarks. 

Last year, Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer pitched the island as a film location for HBO’s popular series “The White Lotus.”

“If HBO is looking for the perfect location for season 4…Mackinac Island is ready to check you in,” she wrote over a video featuring beautiful scenery from the island. Whitmer regularly visits the island for political events, including for the Mackinac Policy Conference, which hosts Michigan’s political and business establishment each year. 

If @HBO is looking for the perfect location for season 4…Mackinac Island is ready to check you in ???? pic.twitter.com/JHUjlqXSvX

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 9, 2025

It’s not the first time a Democratic candidate has trashed the place he or she is vying to represent. During a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn was criticized for comments she made about Nashville.

“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,” she said.

El-Sayed now faces Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the general election. After El-Sayed’s win, Rogers released a direct message to Democratic voters who are concerned about the rise of the far-Left in Michigan. In a campaign video released after El-Sayed edged out Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) 48.5% to 47.5%, Rogers told Michigan Democrats of all ages, “You have a home with us.”

“Over the next 90 days I am going to work hard to earn your trust, to earn your support, and earn your vote,” Rogers said. “We have a state to save, Michigan. Let’s get to work.”