Abdul El-Sayed takes Michigan Senate seat

Abdul El-Sayed has won the U.S. Senate race in Michigan released on Tuesday. The result ends a long campaign that drew national attention to the state's political dynamics. El-Sayed will join the upper chamber as its first Muslim American member.

The 42-year-old defeated former Representative Mike Rogers. Rogers previously lost a Senate bid in 2024. El-Sayed, who is a Michigan native, previously served as the health commissioner for Wayne County and the city of Detroit. His last political run was a 2018 campaign for governor that did not succeed.

During the general election, El-Sayed focused on the cost of living and corporate influence in politics. He pushed for single-payer healthcare. He described himself as a Democrat rather than a democratic socialist, distinguishing his platform from other insurgent candidates in the current cycle. His campaign received support from prominent figures on the political left.

The path to the general election was contentious within the Democratic Party. In the primary, El-Sayed beat Representative Haley Stevens by about one percentage point. That victory came despite endorsements for Stevens from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and retiring Senator Gary Peters. In the closing days of the general election, Stevens switched her support to Rogers. She had initially planned to back the Democratic ticket.

El-Sayed faced criticism during the primary for his comments on Israel. He apologized after a truck-ramming attack at a synagogue preschool in metro Detroit. He also campaigned with streamer Hasan Piker, a move that drew attention from both supporters and critics. These events highlighted internal debates about the direction of the Democratic Party.

Rogers, a Republican, accepted early support from President Trump. Rogers embraced some of the president's claims about election fraud, a stance he previously had not held. As November approached, Rogers attempted to separate his record from some of the president's policies, including the war in Iran. El-Sayed accused Rogers and other Republicans of using Islamophobic rhetoric against him.

With the seat now secured, El-Sayed plans to be a prominent voice in the Senate. Michigan holds an important position in the 2028 presidential nominating process. The state has held a Democratic Senate seat since 1979, a record that continues under El-Sayed.