Abdul El-Sayed Becomes First Muslim Elected to the U.S. Senate
Abdul El-Sayed, a 42-year-old Democratic physician from Michigan, has become the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, defeating former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in a closely watched race that keeps the seat in Democratic hands, detikNews reported.
El-Sayed, who previously served as Detroit’s health director and ran for Michigan governor in 2018, won after a contentious campaign in which his religion became a central issue. Donald Trump and other Republican figures repeatedly mocked El-Sayed over his name and Muslim faith, according to Anadolu Agency and USA Today. The contest took place in Michigan, a state Trump won narrowly in the 2024 presidential election.
A Victory Speech Aimed at Trump and Vance
Celebrating his projected win in Detroit early Wednesday, El-Sayed delivered an emotional address that directly targeted Trump and Vice President JD Vance. He told Vance that after JD swears him in next January, Trump could just call him “Senator,” then turned to Trump, who had mocked his name: “Donald, I know you have trouble saying my name.” So after JD swears me in next January, you can just call me ‘Senator.'” Historia.ID quoted him adding, “My name is Abdulrahman Mohammed El-Sayed and I am proud and honored to be your senator-elect from the state of Michigan.”
El-Sayed’s campaign centered on a three-point slogan: “Money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for All.” He also pressed Rogers on his defense of the Trump administration’s tariff policies, including the trade war with Canada, Michigan’s largest export partner, and accused him of supporting the U.S. war against Iran, which El-Sayed said had driven fuel prices sharply higher.
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El-Sayed, born October 31, 1984, in Michigan, earned degrees from the University of Michigan, Oxford, and Columbia University.
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