Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan to become the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.1,2,3,4,6,7,8
The result in Michigan, a battleground state, gives Democrats an open Senate seat and was widely seen as a test of the political influence of the Democratic left in a state where Israel's actions in Gaza carried particular resonance. El-Sayed, a former public health administrator who campaigned on a left-wing platform, withstood attacks on his faith and his positions during a campaign that included a dispute with a fellow Democrat.1,4
El-Sayed took the stage after long hours in which his supporters had watched Democratic gains elsewhere in the country. His supporters celebrated when he appeared to mark the victory, chanting his name, holding up phones to take in this moment and embracing with emotion as a Muslim man was elected to the Senate. Several people in the crowd repeated his campaign slogan back to him, "Money out of politics, money in your pocket and Medicare for all."1,7
El-Sayed campaigned on universal health care and a wealth tax on billionaires. He is the son of Egyptian immigrants. On the campaign trail, he described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and called for an end to U.S. aid to the country. Michigan is home to the second largest Arab-American population in the United States, a fact that gave the issue particular resonance there.1
Rogers, who was backed by President Donald Trump, portrayed El-Sayed as a communist and criticized his stance on Israel and his Muslim faith. The attacks on El-Sayed included baselessly tying him to terrorism.1
The victory came days after El-Sayed's Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens, endorsed Rogers just days before the election. Stevens is a staunch supporter of Israel, and her primary campaign received millions of dollars in backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as Aipac. The disagreement over Israel also fueled tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens during the campaign.1
The contest was widely seen as a test of the political influence of the Democratic left in a key battleground state, following a series of primary wins by democratic socialist candidates in more politically favored districts.1
Speaking to supporters in the early hours of Wednesday morning, El-Sayed thanked the crowd for taking a chance on "the unlikeliest of candidates" and rounded on his opponents. "They went all in on one of the ugliest campaigns we've seen in a long time," he said, accusing them of attacking him "because of my name and my faith."1
He continued in the same remarks, "They wanted an America that is too small for some of us. We know that this is an America that is big enough for all of us." An impassioned victory speech was also noted in other accounts of the evening.1,7
The Michigan result came as Americans voted for members of Congress, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. All 435 House seats were up for election. In the Senate, only 35 of 100 seats were being contested because senators serve six-year terms. The remaining 65 seats not up for election this year were held by 34 Democrats and 31 Republicans.1
The available results tracker showed Democrats with 54 Senate seats, a gain of seven, and Republicans with 44, a loss of seven, with 33 of 35 seats counted, and Democrats with 228 House seats, a gain of 25, and Republicans with 139, a loss of 25, with 367 of 435 seats counted.1
