Jakarta, ThedailyID — Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate race in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, according to media projections reported by Reuters on Wednesday, November 4.
The 42-year-old Democrat defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in a closely watched contest during the US midterm elections on Tuesday (November 3). Earlier vote counts reported by NBC News showed El-Sayed leading with 50.6 percent, compared with Rogers’ 47.5 percent.
El-Sayed is a former public health official who was born in Detroit, Michigan. His father was born in Egypt, while his mother was born in the United States.
He graduated from the University of Michigan and Columbia University in New York. He also studied at Oxford University through the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
An epidemiologist by profession, El-Sayed previously served as director of public health for Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
Although he had not previously held elected office, El-Sayed entered Michigan’s gubernatorial primary in 2018 and lost. He later ran in the Democratic primary for the state’s Senate seat in August 2026 and secured the party’s nomination.
During his campaign, El-Sayed promoted several progressive policies, including Medicare for All. The proposal aims to expand government-funded healthcare coverage to all Americans.
He has also become known as a vocal critic of Israel, although he has repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism.
His position drew criticism from President Donald Trump and several Republican figures. They accused him of being hostile toward Jewish people and sympathetic to terrorism.
On October 7, Trump attacked El-Sayed in a post on Truth Social.
“He is a radical extremist, a terrorist sympathizer, and no different from his friend Hasan Piker, who hates America,” Trump wrote.
El-Sayed’s victory marks a historic milestone in US political representation, making him the first Muslim elected to serve in the US Senate.
