Far-Left Democrat Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Becomes First Muslim Senator

Abdul El-Sayed defeats Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race, marking historic milestone for Muslim representation in U.S. Congress.

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Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left Democrat and former Detroit health director, has won Michigan’s Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. The race, for the seat vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters, was called by the Decision Desk at 1:15 AM EST, following an update showing El-Sayed with a narrow lead.

El-Sayed secured 1,819,808 votes compared to Mike Rogers’ 1,667,658, according to the Decision DeskHQ update. The race, one of the most expensive in state history, saw total spending projected to reach around $200 million.

Rogers, a former congressman, ran on a platform focused on lowering costs for gas, groceries, and prescription drugs, while El-Sayed campaigned on a Democratic Socialist agenda that included Medicare for All and stronger union protections. The contest drew national attention after El-Sayed’s former primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, crossed party lines to endorse Rogers just days before the election, leading to Stevens’ expulsion from the Michigan Democratic Party.

El-Sayed’s policy record has drawn criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats. In 2020, he repeatedly endorsed the ‘defund the police’ movement, stating in a Detroit public-radio interview, “I believe that we do need to defund the police insofar as defunding the police is disinvesting in the means of incarcerating someone or killing them on the streets.” He later deleted several tweets promoting the slogan, including one that claimed major cities “spend WAY TOO MUCH on police departments to police poverty.”

Rogers, who narrowly lost Michigan’s other Senate seat in 2024 to Elissa Slotkin, entered the race with significant support, hoping to flip the Democrat-held seat in a state President Donald Trump carried in 2024. The race has become a focal point for national political observers, highlighting the growing influence of progressive Democrats in key battleground states.