DETROIT (The Thursday Times) — Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate race in Michigan, defeating Republican Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim ever elected to the chamber, after a campaign in which President Donald Trump repeatedly called him a “jihadist”.
“Michigan, we did it,” El-Sayed told supporters. The result keeps a seat Democrats have held since 1979, adding to their win in both chambers of Congress.
El-Sayed, 42, was born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrant parents. A doctor and epidemiologist, he ran the health departments in Detroit and Wayne County, and first ran for office with an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018. He ran this time on single-payer healthcare, the cost of living and limiting corporate money in politics, drawing in young and infrequent voters.
The closing weeks were among the ugliest of any race this year. Trump called him a jihadist at rallies, invoked the 9/11 attacks in urging voters to reject him, and on polling day said “only fools” would vote for him. Senator Ted Cruz said Americans could die as a result of his election if he was, as Cruz claimed, a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed said: “I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, I never will be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.” He accused his opponents of Islamophobia.
He also faced trouble in his own party. Representative Haley Stevens, whom he beat by about one point in the August primary, endorsed Rogers two days before the vote, saying he was unfit for the Senate. His opposition to US military support for Israel had alienated some Jewish voters, and he later apologised for his comments after a truck attack on a synagogue preschool near Detroit.
He has been endorsed by some of the biggest names on the American left, and is expected to be a prominent voice as Democrats debate their direction. Michigan is an important early state in the race for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
Rogers, 63, a former congressman and FBI agent, also lost a Senate race in Michigan in 2024. Follow the full results here.
