Democrat Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim US senator after winning Michigan race

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's closely watched U.S. Senate race, according to projections from the Associated Press, making history as the nation's first Muslim senator.

El-Sayed's victory demonstrates how an unapologetically progressive candidate can succeed in a battleground state that President Trump carried just two years prior.

The two candidates competed fiercely to fill the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters, with Republicans aiming to flip a historically Democratic seat, an effort that ultimately failed as the GOP lost its Senate majority.

The race experienced a turbulent final stretch when Democratic U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the August primary to El-Sayed, endorsed Rogers. That unexpected move sparked intense backlash within the Democratic Party and led to several staff resignations, including Stevens' chief of staff.

Running on a progressive platform centered on Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, and curbing corporate influence in politics, El-Sayed capitalized on his background as a former Detroit health director.

His campaign navigated a contentious primary and a bitter general election that featured personal attacks concerning his background, medical credentials, and Muslim faith.

Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent who narrowly lost a 2024 Senate bid, sought to frame El-Sayed as too extreme for Michigan.

In response, El-Sayed cast Rogers as a Washington insider closely aligned with Trump. President Trump escalated these attacks in the final weeks of the race, questioning El-Sayed's loyalty to the United States and making unsubstantiated allegations of extremist ties, claims that El-Sayed firmly rejected.

Both candidates placed economic affordability at the core of their platforms while offering starkly contrasting solutions. El-Sayed championed universal health care, debt relief, and wealth taxes, whereas Rogers emphasized tax cuts, domestic manufacturing, border security, and transparent health care pricing.