Last updated Thursday, 5 November 2026. Vote totals for the general election were not available in the sources reviewed, so none are given here.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat and former public health official who has never held elected office, has won Michigan’s open US Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers. The Associated Press called the race, and CBS News also projected the result. El-Sayed, 42, is the son of Egyptian immigrants and will be the first Muslim elected to the Senate, according to Time and the AP. He declared victory before a crowd in Detroit early on Wednesday and said he expects to be sworn in in January.
The result keeps the seat in Democratic hands. Sen. Gary Peters, a two-term Democrat, chose not to run again. It also formed part of a wider Democratic sweep, which we cover in our report on the 2026 midterm election results.
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
El-Sayed was born and raised in suburban Detroit. Time reports he graduated from the University of Michigan, studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned a medical degree from Columbia University, though he did not practise medicine. He became an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia before taking public health jobs in Detroit and Wayne County. Wikipedia lists him as director of Wayne County’s health, human and veteran services department from 2023 to 2025.
This was not his first statewide campaign. He lost the 2018 Democratic primary for governor by a double-digit margin, the AP reports. He entered the Senate race on 19 April 2025. Told by Time that he is not a socialist, he said he believes in capitalism, though his platform leans left: Medicare for All, higher taxes on the wealthy and limits on corporate money in politics.
How he won the nomination
The harder contest may have been the primary. On 4 August, El-Sayed edged Rep. Haley Stevens by 744,952 votes (48.45%) to 731,160 (47.55%), with about 99% reporting, according to Wikipedia’s compilation of the results. Mallory McMorrow had withdrawn but still drew 4%. Stevens conceded and pledged support, but she endorsed Rogers two days before the general election, saying she was not “turning her back on Democrats.” El-Sayed told reporters “none of this matters.”
Money shaped the race. The AP reports the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC spent nearly $30 million against El-Sayed. In his victory speech he cited $42 million in total spending against him, a figure the AP describes only as “tens of millions.” Wikipedia, citing FEC filings through mid-July, shows El-Sayed had raised about $14.5 million, Stevens about $11.9 million and Rogers about $10.9 million at that point.
His opponent
Rogers, 63, is a former congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee and is an Army veteran and former FBI agent, according to CBS. He lost the 2024 Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by about 20,000 votes. Michigan has voted for Donald Trump twice, which made the seat a target for Republicans.
What is disputed, and what is documented
The campaign was bitter, and several claims need separating from the record.
Trump and other Republicans portrayed El-Sayed as a security threat. Time says Trump falsely called him a Muslim Brotherhood member and that Rogers repeated baseless allegations of those ties. CBS reports that Sen. Ted Cruz also tied him to the group. El-Sayed told Fox News, “I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, I never will be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.” The night before the vote, Trump posted on Truth Social that El-Sayed “Hates Jews and Hates Blacks.” No evidence for that claim appears in the reporting reviewed.
Other criticism has a documented basis. El-Sayed has called the war in Gaza a genocide and argued that US aid to Israel should go to domestic needs. Some Jewish voters accused him of antisemitic rhetoric, which he denied. After a March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, his remark that “hurt people hurt people” drew outrage, and he later apologised. He also campaigned with the streamer Hasan Piker, whose past remarks drew heavy criticism. Readers can weigh those points; they are part of why the race drew national attention.
Why the result matters
Analysts quoted by Northeastern University said Michigan was being watched as a test of the Democratic Party’s split between progressives and the center-left. The AP says his win may bolster progressives ahead of the 2028 presidential race. Time notes it also raises questions about how the party will handle foreign policy and donor influence.
One caution applies. A win in a strong Democratic year does not by itself show that his positions are what carried him; analysts also credit voter frustration with the economy and the Iran war, as covered in our midterm results report. That question will take polling and precinct data to answer.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
He is a 42-year-old Democrat, a former public health official from suburban Detroit and the Democratic winner of Michigan’s 2026 Senate race.
Is Abdul El-Sayed the first Muslim senator?
Time and the AP report he will be the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
Is he a member of the Muslim Brotherhood?
No. He denies it, and Time reports that claims of such ties were false or baseless.
When does he take office?
He says he expects to be sworn in in January, when the new Congress convenes.
Sources: Associated Press via PBS NewsHour; Time; CBS News; Northeastern University; Wikipedia, “2026 United States Senate election in Michigan” (primary results and FEC figures). Claims are attributed to the outlet that reported them.
Sources and Editorial Notes
Elivestory aims to use relevant sources, separate confirmed information from speculation and update important details when reliable new information becomes available.
Sarah Jay
Sarah Jay is a journalist, fact-checker, and writer who creates well-researched articles using information from credible and trusted sources. She combines verified facts with thoughtful analysis, offering readers clear, balanced, and insightful perspectives on the topics she covers.
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