Said wins Michigan seat, becomes first American Muslim in Senate

Democratic candidate Abdulrahman Al-Sayed won the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, defeating his Republican rival Mike Rogers and becoming the first American Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.

Al-Sayed, a physician and former head of health departments in Detroit and Wayne County, secured slightly more than 50% of the vote, compared to over 47% for Rogers, with 52% of votes counted as of Wednesday morning.

The race saw tensions within the Democratic Party after Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost to Al-Sayed in the summer primaries, unexpectedly endorsed Rogers days before the election, sparking anger among Democratic leaders and leading to the resignation of several members of her campaign staff.

Stevens justified her stance as a response to what she described as “hatred” and Al-Sayed’s ties to Hassan Baker, a well-known online left-wing activist. Al-Sayed downplayed the impact of this endorsement on his campaign, and reports indicated he raised $1.2 million within four hours of Stevens’ announcement.

Rogers, backed by President Donald Trump, sought to portray his opponent as an extremist, raising allegations about alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Trump attacked Al-Sayed over his religion, describing him as a “violent terrorist,” remarks that Rogers later declined to embrace.

In response to Trump’s attacks, Al-Sayed said he did not care about the way his name was pronounced, adding that the president could address him as “Senator” after the election.

Conversely, Al-Sayed received support from former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and several prominent Democratic leaders, and polls showed him leading his rival on the day of the election.