El-Sayed Defeats Rogers in Michigan Senate Race

Abdul El-Sayed declared victory in Michigan’s Senate race on November 3 after defeating Republican Mike Rogers, who had President Donald Trump’s backing. El-Sayed spoke to supporters while some votes were still being counted. His election would make him the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

El-Sayed criticized the campaign’s focus on his name and faith, saying those issues did not explain why people were struggling to afford fuel and groceries. Trump had called him a jihadist and made remarks about his faith; Rogers also made El-Sayed’s identity a focus of campaign speeches. El-Sayed said the attacks had grown more harsh as the campaign went on.

He also took aim at Vice President JD Vance, who is constitutionally required to swear him in when the Senate convenes in January, and told Rogers to enjoy retirement. El-Sayed criticized U.S. spending on Israel, saying he opposed money going toward apartheid or what he called genocidal war.

The race followed a dispute among Democrats after Rep. Haley Stevens withdrew her endorsement of El-Sayed and backed Rogers. Stevens said the decision was one of conscience. The move angered Democrats, while El-Sayed raised $2.4 million on Sunday, his strongest fundraising day of the 2026 cycle. Rogers had said before election day that he felt good about his position.

Michigan Voters Reject Attacks on El-Sayed’s Faith

Michigan voters sent Abdul El-Sayed to the Senate after a campaign in which Donald Trump and Republican nominee Mike Rogers made the Democrat’s identity a prominent target. El-Sayed declared victory on November 3, saying the attacks on his name and faith could not solve voters’ struggles to afford fuel and groceries. His election would make him the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

Trump called El-Sayed a jihadist and suggested he would face a metal detector before entering the Senate. El-Sayed said the president’s comments had become increasingly coarse, and cast the result as a rejection of a campaign that sought to make America too small for some people. His speech also mocked Vice President JD Vance, who must swear him in when the Senate convenes in January.

El-Sayed’s win came after Rep. Haley Stevens withdrew her endorsement of him and backed Rogers. Her move angered Democrats, but El-Sayed raised $2.4 million on Sunday, his top fundraising day during the 2026 race. Stevens described her choice as a matter of conscience. The race also featured disputes over El-Sayed’s rhetoric on Israel; in his victory speech, he criticized U.S. spending on what he called apartheid or genocidal war. The result is a setback for Republicans who had portrayed him as embodying socialism and communism.

El-Sayed’s Win Brings a Combative Progressive to the Senate

Abdul El-Sayed’s victory over Republican Mike Rogers gives the Democratic Party’s progressive wing a prominent new senator. El-Sayed declared victory in Michigan on November 3, while votes were still being counted. Republicans had portrayed him as the face of socialism and communism after his upset victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary.

The campaign also raised questions about El-Sayed’s rhetoric on Israel, alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and association with political streamer Hasan Piker. In his victory speech, he criticized U.S. spending on Israel, saying he opposed money going toward apartheid or what he called genocidal war. He also taunted Rogers and mocked Vice President JD Vance, who is constitutionally required to swear him in when the Senate convenes in January.

Trump and Rogers focused campaign speeches on El-Sayed’s name and Muslim faith, and Trump called him a jihadist. El-Sayed answered that those attacks did not address the costs of fuel and groceries. Rogers had sought to distance himself from political headwinds facing Republicans, including affordability concerns, Trump’s trade conflict with Canada and the Iran war. Rep. Haley Stevens’s decision to withdraw her endorsement of El-Sayed and back Rogers angered Democrats; El-Sayed then raised $2.4 million on Sunday, his strongest fundraising day of the cycle.