The Michigan Democratic Party will not hold its election-night party at Detroit's MotorCity Casino-Hotel this year. The party has not announced another location, and its spokesman cited pricing among the reasons for the change.
Party spokesman Derrick Honeyman said the decision not to return to MotorCity was made for a variety of reasons, including pricing, according to Deadline Detroit. The outlet also reported that an unnamed political source said gambling was considered. The party has not publicly confirmed that gambling influenced its decision.
MotorCity Casino-Hotel hosted the party's election-night gathering in 2018 and 2024, both times in the venue's Sound Board Theater. This year's Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, is Muslim and would be the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate if elected. He will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, in November, according to PBS NewsHour. No public information establishes that El-Sayed's candidacy or religion prompted the venue change.
No Comment From the El-Sayed Camp
El-Sayed's campaign did not respond to emails seeking comment on Thursday, Deadline Detroit reported. Neither the party nor the campaign has publicly connected his candidacy to the decision to leave MotorCity.
PBS NewsHour reported that El-Sayed's primary-night celebration in August was held at Detroit's Majestic Theatre. The contest drew national attention, with observers watching for clues about the direction of the Democratic Party, WWMT reported. More than $60 million in outside money poured into the contest, according to WDET.
A Casino Tradition, Interrupted
The party held its 2018 election watch night in MotorCity's Sound Board Theater, where guests filled the venue, according to the Michigan Daily. It returned to the same casino and theater for its election-night event on Nov. 5, 2024, MLive reported.
Other election-night venues and casino revenue
Michigan Democrats have used other venues, too: Deadline Detroit reported that the party held its 2016 election-night event at Detroit's MGM Grand. For comparison, Michigan Republicans gathered at Novi's Suburban Collection Showplace for their 2024 election-night party, according to The Detroit News. The Republican event was separate from the Democrats' MotorCity gathering and does not establish why Democrats are changing venues.
Casino revenue also has a statewide public-funding dimension: the Michigan Gaming Control Board says the state wagering tax is 8.1% of Detroit casinos' adjusted gross revenue, with all of it deposited into the School Aid Fund for statewide K-12 education. The board reported that Detroit's three casinos paid the state $102.5 million in wagering taxes on slots and table games in 2025, plus $535,323 on retail sports betting.
The Michigan Democratic Party has not announced where it will gather this November. Pricing is among the reasons its spokesman gave for leaving MotorCity; the separate claim that gambling was considered came from an unnamed source and has not been confirmed by the party.
