In the last weeks of Michigan’s Senate contest, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee, has found himself under fierce scrutiny over his faith and family background. A series of criticisms and difficult questions have trailed him as the campaign entered its final phase, and he has responded with considerable force. The episode has added a sharply personal edge to a race that was already expected to be closely fought.
The final weeks of a Senate campaign are rarely calm. They are usually intense, but rarely this personal. When polling closes in on a few weeks, even a candidate’s private life can become public debate. Mr El-Sayed’s campaign has now entered that uncomfortable territory. Rather than avoiding it, he has chosen