Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El Sayed dismissed US President Donald Trump’s personal attacks on Wednesday, saying voters are more concerned about the rising cost of living than political rhetoric as he launched his general election campaign against Republican Mike Rogers.

El Sayed, who narrowly defeated Representative Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, said his focus would remain on tackling affordability, expanding healthcare access and addressing Michigan’s housing crisis rather than responding to insults from the president.

Speaking in an interview with CNN, El Sayed urged Trump to focus on the issues affecting Americans instead of attacking him personally.

“I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, and pass Medicare for All,” he said, adding that voters were looking for solutions to economic challenges rather than political name-calling.

The Democratic candidate also criticised his Republican rival, former congressman Mike Rogers, accusing him of accepting more than $1 million from the pharmaceutical industry during his time in Congress.

El Sayed said his campaign would centre on lowering everyday costs and improving access to healthcare, arguing that Michigan residents were struggling with affordability.

On foreign policy, El Sayed reiterated his opposition to unconditional US military assistance for any country, including Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said US taxpayer money should be directed towards domestic priorities such as healthcare, education and infrastructure instead of funding foreign militaries.

Asked specifically about US funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system, El Sayed said he opposed the assistance, arguing that public funds should be spent on addressing needs within the United States.

The United States currently provides Israel with $3.3 billion annually in military assistance, along with an additional $500 million for missile defence programmes, including Iron Dome, under a 10-year agreement signed in 2016.

El Sayed secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Stevens by about one percentage point and will face Rogers in November for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters.

The contest is expected to be one of the key races that could shape Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the Senate.