Nessel said before the convention that she did not feel safe attending. She feared being booed, yelled at or chased around the event because of her views on Israel and said similar treatment had already happened to her.
Nessel, one of Michigan’s most prominent Jewish elected officials, also pointed to what she described as growing antisemitism on the political left, along with threats from the far right.
Michigan Democrats increased security for the convention following tensions at an earlier party gathering. Party leaders warned delegates that disruptive behavior would not be tolerated and that anyone breaking the rules could be immediately removed.
The controversy comes as Israel has become a major dividing issue among Michigan Democrats. Nessel’s decision means one of the state party’s highest-ranking elected officials stayed away from her own party convention because she believed her pro-Israel position could make her a target.