El-Sayed takes Michigan Senate seat with over 52% of votes

Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race on Tuesday, securing more than 52 percent of the vote with over 95 percent of ballots counted. This victory makes him the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate. He defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers, who was selected by President Donald Trump.

El-Sayed is 42 years old and works as a physician and former public health official. He will replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The result shifts power in a state that Trump won by a wide margin two years ago. The win strengthens the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Speaking to supporters early Wednesday, El-Sayed responded to personal attacks from the Trump administration. Trump had mocked El-Sayed’s name and called him a “jihadist.” Vice President JD Vance labeled him a “psychopath.” El-Sayed said Trump could address him as “senator” when he takes office in January.

During the campaign, El-Sayed focused on economic pressures affecting Michigan households, including grocery bills and fuel costs. He supports Medicare for All, a government-funded universal healthcare program. He argued that income and employment should not determine access to medical treatment. He also criticized Trump’s tariffs on Canada, stating they damaged the Michigan economy due to close trade ties with the northern neighbor.

Foreign policy issues dominated much of the debate. El-Sayed opposed the US-Israeli war against Iran, blaming the conflict for higher gasoline prices and inflation. He called for an end to US military assistance to Israel. He accused the Israeli government of genocide in Gaza and argued that American tax revenue should fund education, healthcare, and childcare instead of overseas military action.

El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination in August after defeating Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Stevens received open backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. Primary campaign spending exceeded $50 million, with at least $30 million from AIPAC supporting Stevens. Stevens initially pledged support for El-Sayed in November but endorsed Rogers shortly before the election.

Born in metropolitan Detroit, El-Sayed is of Egyptian descent. He graduated valedictorian from the University of Michigan in 2007 and studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He earned his medical degree at Columbia University. He previously served as an epidemiologist and held leadership roles in Detroit’s Health Department and Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services. He first ran for office in 2018, losing the Democratic primary for governor to Gretchen Whitmer. He is married to psychiatrist Sarah Jukaku, and they have two daughters.