Abdul El-Sayed becomes 1st Muslim elected to US Senate in Michigan win

El-Sayed rejected allegations linking him to extremism. The victory also comes in a state narrowly won by Trump in the 2024 presidential election. El-Sayed will become the first Muslim to serve in the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January.

'Bad guys lost... We won! 'He celebrated his projected victory in Michigan early Wednesday, delivering an emotional message to supporters while taking direct aim at Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Speaking at his election-night watch party, El-Sayed thanked Michigan voters and pledged to bring the same determination, openness, and compassion to the US Senate that he said voters had demonstrated throughout his campaign. “Michigan, I cannot wait to serve you with the same big-heartedness, open-mindedness, grit, and earnestness that you've shown me,” El-Sayed.

Read:Democrats capture Congress with in sweeping setback for Trump. He urged supporters to celebrate the result as a collective victory, framing the outcome as a rejection of his political opponents and a triumph for those who had campaigned for a broader political cause.

“Let them know tomorrow that the bad guys lost,” he said. “Let them know that we together, fighting for something bigger, we won. We won!

So Mike, enjoy your retirement. "The Democratic candidate also directed pointed remarks toward Vance, referencing the constitutional process through which newly elected senators are sworn into office. “There is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” said El-Sayed.

He then addressed Trump, citing the president's campaign rallies where he made a show of having trouble pronouncing El-Sayed’s name. “Donald, look, I know you struggled with my name,” El-Sayed said. “So after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me senator.

"About El-Sayed. Early life and education. Born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to Egyptian immigrant parents, El-Sayed pursued a career in medicine and public health before entering politics.

He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007, earned a doctorate in public health from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2011, and received his medical degree from Columbia University in 2014. In 2015, he became health director for Detroit, Michigan’s largest city, overseeing efforts to rebuild the city's public health services following its financial crisis.

He held the position until 2017 before making an unsuccessful bid for Michigan governor in 2018, losing the Democratic primary to Gretchen Whitmer. El-Sayed later served as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services from 2023 to 2025, which includes Detroit.

Political rise and historic Senate bid. El-Sayed returned to electoral politics in 2026, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in August. His campaign attracted support from prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

He campaigned on expanding healthcare access through Medicare for All, lowering housing costs, reducing the influence of wealthy donors in politics, and strengthening economic opportunities for working families.

On foreign policy, El-Sayed emerged as an outspoken critic of US military support for Israel, describing Israel's military campaign in Gaza as genocide and calling for an end to unconditional American military assistance. His positions on Israel became a central source of controversy during the campaign.

Stevens, whom he defeated in the Democratic primary, broke with her party just two days before the general election and endorsed Rogers, citing her concerns over El-Sayed's campaign rhetoric and political associations. Her move drew a strong backlash among fellow Democrats while failing to derail El-Sayed’s path to victory.

Faith and political identity. El-Sayed's Muslim identity also became a prominent issue during the Senate race, with President Donald Trump and other Republican figures repeatedly criticizing him over his faith and political positions. El-Sayed rejected the attacks, arguing that the president was using his name and religion to divert attention from rising living costs and economic challenges facing Americans.

His election marks a historic first for the Senate, although Muslim Americans have previously served in the House of Representatives. Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to Congress in 2006, while Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar became the first Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018.