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History made: El-Sayed, first Muslim in US SenateWorld
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s open Senate seat, becoming the first Muslim American ever elected to the United States Senate.
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El-Sayed, 42, a former public health official, defeated former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections. The Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed, and projections from Fox News and Decision Desk HQ also put him ahead.
The seat was left open by the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters, and El-Sayed’s victory keeps it in Democratic hands. Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority going into Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber.
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El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrant parents, previously served as health director for Detroit and Wayne County. During the campaign he focused on lowering costs for working families and reducing corporate influence in politics, and his platform included support for a government-funded universal healthcare programme.
The contest was one of the most contentious of the election cycle. Rogers, 63, a former congressman and FBI agent, had strong backing from President Donald Trump and national Republicans. He sought to portray El-Sayed as sympathetic to Islamic extremism through alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, claims that El-Sayed denies and that have been described as unsupported by evidence.
El-Sayed’s campaign also faced turbulence in its final days, when his former Democratic primary rival, Representative Haley Stevens, endorsed Rogers shortly before election day. Despite that setback, polling in the closing days had shown El-Sayed leading by a clear margin.
In his victory speech to supporters in Detroit, El-Sayed declared victory on election night and criticised Rogers and Trump. Supporters and commentators described the result as a milestone for religious representation in American politics, and a breakthrough for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
El-Sayed will now take his seat as the Senate’s first Muslim member, at a moment when the balance of power in Congress and the direction of the Democratic Party are both under close scrutiny. His win forms part of a wider set of Democratic gains reported in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
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