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Democrat Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Race, Makes History as First Muslim Senator

El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers after a race shaped by heavy outside spending and attacks over his faith and Israel.

  • On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate and preserving a crucial Democratic seat.
  • El-Sayed, a 42-year-old epidemiologist, campaigned on universal healthcare and campaign finance reform after narrowly defeating Congresswoman Haley Stevens in a bruising primary that drew nearly $60 million in outside spending.
  • Throughout the campaign, President Donald Trump repeatedly labeled El-Sayed a "jihadist" and alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties, while AIPAC spent more than $30 million opposing him, the organization's largest investment in a single race.
  • Just two days before the election, Stevens endorsed Rogers, citing concerns about El-Sayed's Israel criticism, yet El-Sayed secured 1,897,833 votes to Rogers' 1,758,007 according to Decision Desk HQ.
  • El-Sayed's victory preserves the seat held by retiring Senator Gary Peters and bolsters progressives ahead of the 2028 presidential election, offering evidence that their agenda can win in competitive battleground states.
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Center

The first Muslim elected to the Senate, the Progressive proved that it was possible to defend economic and social ideas deemed radical across the Atlantic in a key state of the Midwest. ...

·Brussels, Belgium
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Right

Abdul El-Sayed's family has close ties to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, he himself recently justified an Islamist and anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue. Now the Democrat was elected US Senator in the U.S. interim elections in Michigan.

·Berlin, Germany
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Lean Right

Abdul El-Sayed won the Senate elections in Michigan: What implications does his triumph have after being considered one of Donald Trump's most uncomfortable Democrats?

·Mexico
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Trump defamed him as "radical jihadists" and "communists." Now Abdul El-Sayed becomes the first Muslim senator in US history.

·Berlin, Germany
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Handelsblatt broke the news in Düsseldorf, Germany on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
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