El-Sayed takes Michigan Senate seat in upset win
The former Detroit health official defeats Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim American in the U.S. Senate.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
Abdul El-Sayed has won the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, the Associated Press confirmed.
The 42-year-old Democrat defeated former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in a race that drew national attention. This marks the first time a Muslim American will serve in the Senate.
El-Sayed built his campaign on anger over the cost of living and corruption. He focused on passing single-payer healthcare and limiting corporate influence in politics. These messages energized young and infrequent voters who might otherwise have stayed home.
The path to victory was not smooth for the former public health official. He narrowly beat Rep. Haley Stevens in the primary by about one percentage point. That result came despite endorsements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Sen. Gary Peters for Stevens. In the final days of the general election, Stevens reversed her earlier position and endorsed Rogers, a move that highlighted tensions within the Democratic coalition.
El-Sayed faces a new role in Washington with a distinct political identity. He is not a democratic socialist, yet his campaign received backing from major figures on the political left. His stance on Israel complicated his support base, including comments made after a truck-ramming attack at a synagogue preschool in metro Detroit. He later apologized for those remarks and campaigned alongside streamer Hasan Piker during the primary.
Rogers had previously lost his bid for the Senate in 2024. President Trump endorsed Rogers early in the race, a choice that El-Sayed said was linked to Islamophobic rhetoric. Rogers embraced some of the president's claims about election fraud before the vote, though he later distanced himself from certain presidential policies, including the war in Iran. Democrats have held the Michigan Senate seat since 1979, making this shift notable for the party.
El-Sayed is a Michigan native who previously ran the health departments for Wayne County and the city of Detroit. He first sought office in 2018 with an unsuccessful bid for governor. Now, as the Democratic Party reconsiders its direction, El-Sayed has indicated he plans to be a prominent voice. Michigan holds a prime position in the presidential nominating process for 2028, a fact that adds weight to his new platform.
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