Democrat Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Pokes at Vice President and President in Victory Speech
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Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race against Republican Mike Rogers and used his speech to make a showy jab at Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump after becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed secured a U.S. Senate seat from Michigan, defeating Republican Mike Rogers in a race that made him the first Muslim elected to the chamber. In his acceptance speech, El-Sayed addressed Vice President JD Vance, boasting about the "delicious irony" that the vice president is constitutionally required to administer his oath of office in January.
"JD, Habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in, in January," he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
El-Sayed also referenced President Donald Trump, pointing to the president’s difficulty with his name and inviting Trump to call him "Senator" after the swearing-in ceremony.
The newly elected senator thanked Michigan voters for supporting what he described as an "unlikely" candidate and claimed that attacks on his name and faith had nothing to do with the economic issues voters are facing, including rising gas prices.
El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants and former public health officer, previously ran for governor in 2018 and received endorsements from progressive figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His victory shows that a sharply progressive message can still win in swing states when voters choose ideology over common sense and traditional political instincts.