El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat
The former public health official defeated Mike Rogers in a costly race marked by primary spending of nearly $60 million.
By Marco Graham ·
Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers on Tuesday to win Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat. The Democrat, a former public health official who had never held elected office, secured the victory in one of the nation's most competitive states. El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, will become the first Muslim member of the Senate.
The race was defined by heavy financial investment and internal party conflict. El-Sayed won the Democratic primary in August after facing nearly $60 million in outside spending. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent close to $30 million opposing him, representing its largest single-race investment to date. El-Sayed ran on a platform centered on Medicare for All and the removal of outside money from elections.
Rogers, a former congressman and House Intelligence Committee chair, struggled to balance his loyalty to President Donald Trump with voter concerns over the economy. High fuel prices linked to the war in Iran and economic strain from tariffs complicated his message. Rogers attempted to broaden his appeal among Black and Jewish voters but faced attacks over El-Sayed's criticism of Israel. Trump and other Republicans linked El-Sayed to terrorist organizations, a claim for which they provided no evidence.
Tensions within the Democratic coalition peaked two days before the election. Rep. Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed defeated in the primary, endorsed Rogers. Stevens appeared at a church event with the Republican nominee and stated that El-Sayed had not done enough to address community concerns. Stevens had carried Wayne County in the primary, raising fears about Black voter turnout in Detroit.
El-Sayed addressed the attacks in his victory speech to a crowd in Detroit. He described the Republican campaign as one of the ugliest seen in recent lifetimes. "They might have been pointing to my name and my faith, but we all know my name and my faith are not why you can’t afford your gas," he said. He told Rogers to enjoy his retirement and declared that Michigan chose hope.
The result gives the progressive wing of the Democratic Party a major win ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Leaders including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders campaigned for El-Sayed. Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris joined him in Detroit to mobilize voters.
Voters also passed Proposal 2, which bans campaign spending from regulated electric and gas utilities and major government contractors. They rejected Proposal 1, a measure to call a constitutional convention.
