Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate race in Michigan, defeating Republican Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim senator in American history. The victory for the Democrat adds to a decisive shift in the Senate, where the party took control following shock wins in Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina.
El-Sayed, 42, declared victory early Wednesday at the state Democratic headquarters in Detroit. He addressed a crowd of supporters, thanking them for backing an “unlikeliest of candidates.” He credited a movement built over a year and a half of campaigning across Michigan, from its largest cities to its smallest towns.
Defeating Islamophobic Attacks
The campaign was marked by intense attacks from Donald Trump and Republican allies, who frequently targeted El-Sayed’s faith and name. Trump had previously referred to the candidate as a “jihadist” and suggested he would need to walk through a metal detector to enter the Senate. Other Republicans labeled him a “communist” and a member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed said his opponents chose divisiveness over addressing economic issues like the cost of gas and groceries. “They want an America that is too small for some of us,” he told supporters. “We know that America is big enough for all of us.” He argued that his detractors lacked answers to the problems created by the current administration.
Mike Rogers, a former congressman and close ally of Trump, ran as the Republican nominee. He had previously lost the 2024 Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by a narrow margin. In this cycle, Rogers broke with Trump in the final weeks of the campaign, calling for an end to the trade war with Canada and a swift conclusion to the conflict with Iran. However, he had previously supported Trump’s tariff policies and immigration enforcement measures.
A Progressive Victory in a Swing State
El-Sayed’s win represents a significant upset for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He is a former Wayne County health director who defeated the establishment favorite Haley Stevens in the primary earlier this year. His platform included support for Medicare for All and an end to US military aid for Israel.
The race drew massive financial attention. The pro-Israel lobby Aipac spent approximately $30 million through its Super PAC, United Democracy Project, in the primary to stop El-Sayed, setting a record for a single race. Total ad spending for the general election exceeded $220 million by mid-October, according to AdImpact.
Republicans had sought to portray El-Sayed as too far left for a swing state. A Fox News poll in August found that 54% of Michigan voters viewed his positions as too extreme. However, 51% of respondents also said Rogers was too close to Trump, suggesting a complex political landscape.
Both candidates were running to succeed outgoing Senator Gary Peters, who has held the seat since 2015. El-Sayed’s victory marks a historic moment for representation in the US Senate and signals a strong performance for Democrats in key battleground states.
Source: The Guardian
