In a historic victory, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Senate race, becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the US Senate. His win over Republican Mike Rogers, following a hard-fought campaign, marks a major milestone for the Democratic Party's progressive wing in a pivotal battleground state.
"Michigan, we did it!" El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, said in a speech at his election headquarters in Detroit. "I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan."
Despite never holding elected office and suffering a decisive loss in Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary eight years earlier, former public health official Abdul El-Sayed has won a seat in the US Senate.
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Backed by prominent progressives like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his win bolsters the progressive movement ahead of the 2028 presidential race, suggesting that candidates running on its platform can prevail in key swing states. Despite an eleventh-hour endorsement of Rogers by Representative Haley Stevens, who had lost the Democratic primary to him, the Michigan doctor still won the race.
El-Sayed defied heavy spending by outside groups in both the Democratic primary and the general election, relying instead on a grassroots campaign focused on universal healthcare, eliminating outside financial influence in elections and strong criticism of Israel. His progressive campaign promises helped mobilise voters and secure a crucial US Senate seat for the Democrats, succeeding retiring Senator Gary Peters.
It is my honor and privilege to be headed to the US Senate to serve the great state of Michigan. Michigan, we did what they said couldn't be done. We won. Together. Now the real work begins. https://t.co/ITgNRyUkNc
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) November 4, 2026
"You deserve to be able to see a doctor without getting a huge bill," he made the remarks to Michigan voters ahead of the election, pledging to overhaul America's deeply divided, multi-billion-dollar for-profit healthcare system.
Throughout the campaign, El-Sayed attracted massive crowds statewide, including in staunchly Republican strongholds.
El-Sayed also pledged to eliminate the influence of money in politics and tackle the severe economic hardships driving voters to demand an outsider who can disrupt the established order. With this victory, El-Sayed becomes the first physician from the Democratic Party to serve in the Senate since 1969.
Donald Trump and fellow Republicans waged an aggressive campaign labelling Democrats as communists and portraying El-Sayed as a "terrorist threat" to national security. Meanwhile, following a divisive primary, El-Sayed had to address doubts about his ability to bring the Democratic coalition together, especially Detroit's Black community and Jewish residents in the surrounding suburbs.
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