The daughter and grandson of late boxing champion and civil rights activist Muhammad Ali have endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, adding a prominent family endorsement to the final stretch of his campaign ahead of Election Day.
Khalilah Ali, Muhammad Ali’s daughter, and her son, Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, announced their support for El-Sayed during a church service in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to Al Jazeera. Khalilah Ali linked the candidate’s campaign to her father’s legacy of standing up for people facing discrimination and injustice.
READ: Abdul El-Sayed courts Indian American voters at Diwali rally (November 2, 2026)
“You know Ali had to show up if there was a fight. What made you think this was going to go down without one of us showing up? You got two of us. This is what legacy is,” she told El-Sayed.
She said her father had fought to create opportunities for others and described the endorsement as part of that continuing legacy. Her son, Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, also voiced support for the Democratic nominee, saying El-Sayed understood what it meant to face discrimination because of one’s race or religion.
“Abdul El-Sayed is a part of Muhammad Ali’s legacy,” he said, describing the candidate as someone prepared to stand up against injustice. Ali-Wertheimer also referred to rising hatred and the economic pressures facing Americans, including the increasing cost of living. He called El-Sayed “another fighter in our corner.”
The endorsement comes as El-Sayed faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the November 3 election for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. The contest follows the retirement of Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The campaign has also been marked by divisions among Michigan Democrats. Former Democratic primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens recently endorsed Rogers after a dispute with El-Sayed’s campaign over her participation in a planned unity event.
READ: Haley Stevens endorses Mike Rogers for Senate (November 1, 2026)
Stevens’ decision drew criticism from Democratic leaders and prompted questions about party unity in the final days of the contest. El-Sayed has sought to keep attention on economic issues and healthcare policy.
The Ali family’s endorsement adds a prominent civil rights legacy to El-Sayed’s campaign, which has also sought support from Muslim Americans, Arab Americans and other minority communities.
On Oct. 30, El-Sayed attended Indian American Impact’s Diwali-themed “Light Up the Vote” rally in Westland, where organizers encouraged South Asian Americans to participate in Michigan’s elections.
The events reflect efforts by the campaign and allied organizations to engage voters across different communities in a state where the Senate contest has attracted national attention.
Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was widely known not only for his boxing achievements but also for his activism, opposition to the Vietnam War, and advocacy for civil rights. His daughter and grandson endorsed him just one day before Michigan voters head to the polls.