Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat, becoming first Muslim American senator
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Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, marking a historic first for a Muslim American in the chamber.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has been declared the winner of Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, according to the Associated Press. The 42-year-old former public-health official defeated former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who previously lost his 2024 Senate bid.
El-Sayed’s victory makes him the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate. His campaign emphasized single-payer health care and reducing corporate influence in politics, targeting younger and infrequent voters concerned about the cost of living and government corruption.
While El-Sayed does not identify as a democratic socialist, his campaign received support from prominent figures on the political left. He faced criticism over comments made after a truck-ramming attack at a synagogue preschool in metro Detroit and for appearing with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker during the primary.
In the Democratic primary, El-Sayed narrowly beat Rep. Haley Stevens by about one percentage point, despite endorsements for Stevens from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Stevens later endorsed Rogers in the general election, highlighting divisions within the state Democratic coalition.
During the campaign, El-Sayed accused Rogers and other Republicans, including President Trump, of using Islamophobic rhetoric against him. President Trump had endorsed Rogers early in the race; Rogers later sought to distance himself from some of the president’s policies, including claims of widespread election fraud and the war in Iran.
El-Sayed, a Michigan native who previously led the health departments of Wayne County and Detroit and ran for governor in 2018, said he intends to be a prominent voice for the state, which will play a key role in the 2028 presidential nominating process.