Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is enthusiastically touting the endorsement of Horace Sheffield III, an influential Detroit pastor and radio host who once heaped praise on Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan.
Sheffield endorsed El-Sayed on air in November 2025, with the Senate hopeful issuing a press release to commemorate the occasion and saying that he was "deeply honored" to have his support. In May 2013, Sheffield gave a speech introducing Farrakhan to a gathering of religious leaders where he praised the controversial cleric for his leadership and accused outside forces of slandering him.
"We need someone to give us direction. I believe we have a leader here that can organize us," Sheffield said, referring to Farrakhan, according to a media outlet founded by Farrakhan.
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Before Sheffield lauded the Nation of Islam leader, he had racked up an extensive record of controversial remarks slammed as anti-Semitic or as instances of anti-White racism.
In 1996, for instance, Farrakhan accused Jews of being "wicked deceivers of the American people" who have "sucked their blood." A year later, he suggested that "people will never be free in this country" until they are liberated from the "tremendous amount of influence" Jews exert over the American government.
Shortly before Sheffield praised Farrakhan in May 2013, the Nation of Islam minister stated that "Jews are the most violent of people" in February 2012.
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Farrakhan also called White people "the skunk of the planet earth" and suggested that Europeans are not yet fully evolved human beings.
Following these controversial statements, Sheffield suggested during his 2013 introductory remarks that Farrakhan was a truth teller whom the establishment was trying to silence.
"They want to silence people who tell us the truth, and we know why this is happening and who is doing it, but we need some help with how to overcome it," Sheffield said during his speech.
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After the 2013 event, Farrakhan continued his habit of controversial remarks, calling Jews "termites" in 2018.
Despite Sheffield’s praise of a highly controversial cleric, El-Sayed’s campaign has worked with him to a considerable degree.
In June, Sheffield stopped by El-Sayed’s campaign office to record a promotional video for the candidate. More recently, the Washington Free Beacon reported that the El-Sayed campaign had paid a nonprofit run by Sheffield $75,000 for "consulting" fees between October 2025 and June of this year.
Sheffield’s previous radio station suspended him in 2018 after he endorsed Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar’s failed bid for Michigan governor after accepting tens of thousands of dollars in "consulting" fees from him, according to the Free Beacon.
While Sheffield’s controversial past associations could provide Republicans with ammunition to use against El-Sayed in the general election, especially given the accusations of antisemitism surrounding his campaign, the pastor's endorsement could also help him win the support of Black Michiganders, a demographic he has so far failed to impress.
"I’m deeply honored to have Rev. Sheffield’s support. His lifelong commitment to justice, faith, and service embodies the very best of Detroit," El-Sayed said following the endorsement. "We’re building a coalition that believes politics should be about people, and together we’ll fight to deliver dignity, opportunity, and equity for every Michigander."
Representatives for El-Sayed and Sheffield did not return requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
