He defeated Mike Rogers after a campaign in which Republicans, including President Trump, targeted his faith.
DETROIT – Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate race on Tuesday, defeating Republican Mike Rogers and becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the US Senate, the Associated Press projected.
El-Sayed, a 41-year-old progressive and former public health official, led Rogers by nearly 6 percentage points with 85% of ballots counted, Bridge Michigan reported. The win keeps the seat in Democratic hands, which it has been since 1979, as Democrats won control of the Senate. “Michigan, we did it,” he told supporters in Detroit, thanking them for taking a chance on “the unlikeliest of candidates.”
The campaign was bitter. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Rogers each claimed El-Sayed or his family had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, allegations Time described as baseless, and he faced Islamophobic rhetoric that he criticized. In his victory speech he told Rogers to “enjoy your retirement” and said that “Michigan chose hope” over hate. El-Sayed campaigned on universal healthcare and taxing the rich and sought to make the race a referendum on Trump.
He won the Democratic primary on Aug. 4 by about one point over Rep. Haley Stevens, who had warned he could not beat Rogers. In the final days, Stevens reversed course and endorsed Rogers. Polls showed a tight race after the primary, and the RealClearPolitics average gave El-Sayed a five-point edge on Election Day. His win is a breakthrough for the left wing of the Democratic Party in a competitive swing state.
This report draws on information from the Associated Press, NPR, Time, Bridge Michigan and Newsweek.