El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat

Abdul El-Sayed has won the U.S. Senate race in Michigan. The Associated Press called the election for the Democrat, marking a decisive victory for his party's effort to regain control of the chamber. El-Sayed will become the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate. He is 42 years old and previously served as a public health official.

His opponent, former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, lost the election. Rogers had also lost his first Senate bid in 2024. El-Sayed campaigned on the cost of living and the influence of corporate money in politics. He promised to push for single-payer healthcare. His platform attracted young and infrequent voters. He is not a democratic socialist, though his campaign received backing from prominent figures on the political left.

El-Sayed first entered the political arena in 2018 with an unsuccessful bid for governor. He later ran the health departments in Wayne County and the city of Detroit. In the primary election this year, he narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens by about one percentage point. That race occurred despite support for Stevens from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Sen. Gary Peters.

The general election campaign featured criticism of El-Sayed's positions on Israel. He apologized for comments made after a truck-ramming attack at a synagogue preschool in metro Detroit. He also campaigned with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker during the primary. Stevens initially said she would support the Democratic ticket but later endorsed Rogers in the closing days of the general election. Polls showed a tight race despite Democrats holding the seat since 1979.

During the campaign, El-Sayed accused Republicans, including President Trump, of using Islamophobic rhetoric. Trump endorsed Rogers early in the race. Rogers embraced some of the president's claims about election fraud, a stance he had previously condemned after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. As November approached, Rogers tried to distance himself from certain presidential policies, including the war in Iran.

El-Sayed intends to be a prominent voice in the Senate. He views Michigan's position in the 2028 presidential nominating process as a key factor. The result ends a closely watched contest that tested the appeal of an antiestablishment candidate in a Midwest battleground.