Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Becomes First Muslim U.S. Senator
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 30
Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Becomes First Muslim U.S. Senator
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 30
Summary
Michigan stayed in Democratic hands as Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in one of the midterms’ most closely watched Senate races, denying the GOP a hoped-for pickup.
Rogers struggled against broader Republican headwinds — including affordability concerns, Trump’s trade war with Canada and the Iran war — while El-Sayed centered his campaign on Michigan cost-of-living issues.
El-Sayed said AIPAC spent about $42 million against him and used his victory speech to cast the result as a rejection of attacks on his faith, Israel rhetoric and alleged political ties.
Trump and Rogers had both portrayed El-Sayed as a security threat during the race, making his win a setback for Republicans’ effort to use him as a national symbol of Democratic progressivism.
Washington now gets its first Muslim senator, and El-Sayed is expected to arrive as an independent-minded progressive who has already criticized Senate Democratic leadership.