Michigan and Texas Primary Losers’ Backers Weigh What’s Next
WHO:
NBC News - Danny S., a 64-year-old Democrat, strongly backed El-Sayed, calling Rogers “just an opportunist” and saying Rogers “didn’t do nothing last time,” referring to his seven-term House career, which ended in 2014.
NBC News - Michael D., a 51-year-old independent who voted for Harris in 2024, leaned toward Rogers and said El-Sayed’s views were not representative of the whole party, later clarifying he meant Muslim Americans.
NBC News - Kimberly C. was identified as a 54-year-old independent who voted for Trump and leaned toward El-Sayed.
NBC News Politics - Syracuse University’s Margaret Talev spoke with voters who backed losing primary candidates in Michigan and Texas.
NBC News - The Michigan group consisted of seven voters who supported Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens’ unsuccessful Senate primary bid: five independents and two Democrats. Four of the five independents voted for President Trump in 2024.
NBC News - The Texas group consisted of five Republicans and one independent who had supported Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary.
NBC News - Michigan’s general-election Senate candidates are Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, and Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers. Texas’s candidates are Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, 37.
NBC News - Rich Thau, president of Engagious, moderated the groups. Margaret Talev directs Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship.
WHAT:
NBC News - Isaac W. said El-Sayed’s victory seemed “almost inevitable” and hoped election results would show El-Sayed running behind Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor. He criticized El-Sayed as a “young, charismatic, slippery politician” who would “flirt with extremists and not answer questions.”
NBC News - Isaac W. said El-Sayed had addressed his concern about artificial intelligence and said more Democratic Senate votes would push back on Trump’s administration, which he described as corrupt.
NBC News - Brittany E. said she had previously leaned toward El-Sayed before shifting toward Rogers; she urged El-Sayed to be “more honest and open to criticism without anger.”
NBC News - The focus groups found that some primary voters remain unsure whether to support their party’s nominee. In Michigan, two of seven Stevens supporters leaned toward El-Sayed; four of the five independents leaned toward Rogers. The two Democratic participants split between El-Sayed and Rogers. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed.
NBC News - In Texas, two Republicans planned to support Paxton and two leaned toward him; one Republican and the independent leaned toward Talarico. All five Republicans said they would support Talarico if he were a Republican.
NBC News - Participants raised concerns about El-Sayed’s perceived extremism, whether he would represent all Michiganders, and his Muslim faith. El-Sayed would be the first Muslim senator if elected. Some participants expressed prejudice concerns; Kimberly C., an independent leaning toward El-Sayed, said voters should look beyond racism and prejudice.
NBC News - Texas participants discussed Paxton’s controversies: he was impeached in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges and acquitted; indicted in 2015 on securities-fraud-related charges, he avoided trial after reaching an agreement with prosecutors. Paxton is going through a divorce; his wife said she was separating from him on “biblical grounds.”
NBC News - Kathleen S., 62, of Comal County, said, “I’m split down the middle” and described the choice as “the lesser of two evils.” She said Paxton was “very corrupt” but would probably be her choice “if it was today.”
NBC News - Ruth L., 63, of Tarrant County, said she was embarrassed to vote Republican because Paxton had “so many skeletons in his closet,” but could not “jump the fence” to the other party. Her message to Talarico was: “Change parties.”
NBC News - Steve F., 67, of Collin County, planned to back Paxton “mostly because of the party,” citing concern about Republicans losing Senate control. He said Talarico had “a lot of integrity” but that Democrats did not share his values.
NBC News - Greg D., 48, a Republican who voted for Trump in 2024, leaned toward Talarico, saying, “Let’s change it up.” He listens to Joe Rogan’s podcast; Talarico appeared on it in 2025, and Rogan encouraged him to run for president.
NBC News - Danielle S., the Texas group’s independent, said she “begrudgingly” voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 and supported Talarico, calling him “integrity on legs” and “the opposite of what Ken Paxton is.”
NBC News - Isaac W., a 29-year-old Democrat from Oakland County who voted for Harris in 2024, leaned toward Rogers. He praised Rogers’ break with Trump over tariffs and said El-Sayed had addressed his concern about the “existential risk” from artificial intelligence.
NBC News - Heather S., a 52-year-old independent who voted for Trump in 2024, rejected El-Sayed as “way too extremist” and said, “I think El-Sayed would just represent Dearborn.” Brittany E., 36, another Trump voter, shifted toward Rogers, saying she was unsure what El-Sayed believed or “how he’s going to make change.”
WHERE:
NBC News - The groups discussed Senate primaries in Michigan and Texas. Named participant locations include Comal, Tarrant, and Collin counties in Texas and Oakland County in Michigan; Dearborn was cited as a Michigan city with a significant Muslim population.
WHEN:
NBC News - Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 10-day bus tour across Pennsylvania was scheduled to start “tomorrow”; this date is omitted because it is not a future date under the provided date rules.
NBC News - The focus groups were two 90-minute conversations. Participants discussed the 2024 presidential election and Senate primaries held during the article’s election year.
NBC News - The article says Senate control would determine the Senate majority “next year.”
WHY:
NBC News - Texas Republicans’ hesitation about Paxton was weighed against party loyalty and concern about giving Democrats a Senate seat. Michigan voters’ hesitation about El-Sayed reflected concerns about his politics and representation; some participants said party loyalty or opposition to Democrats outweighed candidate concerns.
HOW:
NBC News Politics - The focus groups were produced by Syracuse University and research firms Engagious and Sago, and observed by NBC News.
NBC News - The article explains that focus groups explore detailed views among small groups, unlike polls, which use statistical methods to measure how a larger population feels.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 23:18 UTC)
Voters who backed losing Senate primary candidates in Michigan and Texas remain divided over whether to support their party’s nominees, according to two focus groups moderated by Syracuse University’s Margaret Talev. In Michigan, four of five independent participants leaned toward Republican Mike Rogers, while the group’s two Democrats split between Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Some questioned El-Sayed’s politics and whether he would represent the whole state; others urged voters to look beyond prejudice toward his Muslim faith. In Texas, two Republicans planned to support Ken Paxton, and two more leaned his way, despite concerns about his controversies and divorce. Party loyalty and fear of handing Democrats a Senate seat weighed heavily. One Republican praised Democrat James Talarico’s integrity but said he would still vote for Paxton; another Republican and the group’s independent leaned toward Talarico. The small-group discussions explored individual views, rather than measuring opinion across the broader electorate.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 21:17 UTC)
Voters who backed losing Senate primary candidates in Michigan and Texas remain divided over whether to support their party’s nominees, according to two focus groups. In Michigan, only two of seven former Haley Stevens supporters leaned toward Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, while four of five independents favored Republican Mike Rogers. Participants questioned El-Sayed’s politics and whether he would represent the whole state; some also raised his Muslim faith. In Texas, two Republicans planned to vote for Ken Paxton and two leaned his way, while one Republican and an independent favored Democrat James Talarico. All five Republicans said they would support Talarico if he were a Republican. Paxton’s controversies weighed on some voters, but party loyalty remained powerful. One Republican called him corrupt yet said he would probably vote for him; another praised Talarico’s integrity but still planned to back Paxton to help Republicans retain Senate control.