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US Politics

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, will be first Muslim senator

Republican Mike Rogers conceded by statement, and the AP says Democrats won a substantial Senate majority in Tuesday's midterms.

Abdul El-Sayed in 2024
Abdul El-Sayed in 2024. Photo: U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
12 news outlets reported this
Liberal5 outletsa historic win and a victory-night feudCenter1 outletEl-Sayed's answer to months of Republican attacksConservative6 outletsEl-Sayed's win, his critics, and CAIR's celebration
Published 3 min read
Overview

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's US race over Republican Mike Rogers in Tuesday's elections, and the race was called early Wednesday. With about 97% of the vote counted, the Associated Press reported El-Sayed ahead by 7 percentage points. Decision Desk HQ projected him the winner with 52.53 percent to Rogers's 45.47 percent.

El-Sayed, whose parents immigrated from Egypt, will be the first Muslim in the Senate. The AP reports that President Trump repeatedly called him a "jihadist" during the campaign. El-Sayed told the AP that Michigan voters rejected "a hateful, spiteful campaign."

Rogers issued a statement conceding, but the two had not spoken as of Wednesday afternoon, the AP said. According to the AP, Democrats won a substantial Senate majority. Fox News reports they regained control of and Senate.

In his victory speech in Detroit, El-Sayed told Vice President JD Vance he is "constitutionally obligated" to swear him in in January. He also would not commit to backing Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer for another term, saying he believes "we need new leadership." The AP said Schumer is expected to keep the post.

Key figures
  • 7 percentage point lead El-Sayed over Rogers, per AP with about 97% of the vote in — The Seattle Times
  • 52.53 percent to 45.47 percent El-Sayed and Rogers, as projected by Decision Desk HQ — RedState
  • over $30 million spent against El-Sayed's campaign, per a CAIR Action email — The Post Millennial
  • more than $115,000 from at least 41 donors tied to CAIR, per Post Millennial — The Post Millennial

Three sides of the story

Liberal5 outlets

a historic win and a victory-night feud

The New Republic folds El-Sayed's win into a roundup of election-night firsts, calling him Michigan's first Muslim senator. It says he ran a "shrewd campaign" and overcame "a nasty strain of Islamophobia." HuffPost leads with his "victory lap" around Vice President JD Vance, quoting the "delicious irony" line and his "Wolverine 1, Buckeye 0" post, and recounts the personal attacks Vance made during the race.

Al Jazeera English's headline describes Democratic voters celebrating in an election "blue wave," with voters dancing for El-Sayed's victory in Michigan. NPR's report centers on an interview with Michigan's first Muslim senator-elect. He discusses his historic victory, welcomes President Trump's plan to cut Israel aid, which NPR calls an unlikely agreement, and calls for an end to arms sales.

Center1 outlet

El-Sayed's answer to months of Republican attacks

The Seattle Times runs an AP report that opens with El-Sayed telling the AP that Michigan rejected "a hateful, spiteful campaign" after months of Republican attacks on his Muslim identity. It notes Trump repeatedly called him a "jihadist" and says Rogers and El-Sayed had not spoken even after Rogers conceded in a statement. The report gives the numbers: about 97% of the vote in, a 7 percentage point lead, and every county shifting toward Democrats compared with 2024.

In an AP Voter Poll of more than 4,500 Michigan voters, about half said El-Sayed's views were "too extreme." The report closes on El-Sayed's refusal to commit to Chuck Schumer, saying "we need new leadership."

Conservative6 outlets

El-Sayed's win, his critics, and CAIR's celebration

The Post Millennial leads with CAIR Action celebrating the win in an email. Its headline describes the group as having "alleged terror ties," and it reports that 41 or more donors tied to CAIR gave El-Sayed over $115,000 in total. Fox News centers on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who says the victory "means so much to so many" and calls for delivering lower costs.

Townhall says El-Sayed is "already gloating," notes he won by "an astounding seven points" despite polls suggesting a close race, and traces his feud with Vance. RedState reports Decision Desk HQ's projection, calls El-Sayed "especially problematic" as a candidate, and says Rep. Haley Stevens called him not "fit to serve" before endorsing Rogers. It ends: "That's unfortunate for Michigan, the Senate, and America."

All sources: 15 articles from 12 outlets

Liberal (7)

Center (1)

Conservative (7)

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The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

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Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

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