Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory early Wednesday in Michigan’s US Senate race, defeating former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
The 42-year-old physician and public health specialist of Egyptian immigrant descent secured the key Senate seat for the Democratic Party, succeeding retiring Senator Gary Peters. His victory also makes him the first Democratic doctor to serve in the US Senate since 1969.
Born in Michigan in 1984, El-Sayed studied at the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford and Columbia University. He served as director of Detroit’s Health Department from 2015 to 2017 before gaining national attention through an unsuccessful bid for Michigan governor in 2018.
A progressive Democrat, El-Sayed built his political campaign around left-wing pledges, including universal healthcare and campaign finance reform, aimed at helping cash-strapped voters navigate America’s complex medical system. He has also been a vocal critic of Israeli government policies, reports AFP.
Speaking to Michigan voters on the eve of the election, El-Sayed pledged to reform the country’s divisive, multi-billion-dollar, for-profit healthcare system, saying: “You deserve to be able to see a doctor without getting a huge bill.”
He also vowed to take “money out of politics” and address the severe economic difficulties driving voters to seek a political newcomer capable of challenging the status quo.
Addressing supporters at his election headquarters in Detroit, El-Sayed celebrated the historic milestone with an enthusiastic speech. “Michigan, we did it!” he declared, adding: “I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.”
El-Sayed secured the seat despite a last-minute setback when Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom he had defeated in the Democratic primary, endorsed Rogers shortly before the election.
Throughout the race, Republicans ran an aggressive campaign portraying Democrats as communists and branding El-Sayed a terrorist who would endanger Americans.
Nevertheless, El-Sayed attracted large crowds at campaign events across Michigan, drawing strong support even in deeply conservative Republican strongholds.
