Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Seat, Becoming First Muslim US Senator

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s open United States Senate seat, defeating former Republican Representative Mike Rogers, according to a race call by the Associated Press. El-Sayed will become the first Muslim American to serve in the US Senate when the new Congress takes office in January.

El-Sayed, 42, is a former health director for Wayne County and the city of Detroit. He succeeds Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who is stepping down after two six-year terms. The seat had been held by Democrats since 1979, and Michigan had been seen as one of Republicans’ best chances of flipping a Democratic-held seat.

FAKTA: Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat

• Winner: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, 42, former Wayne County and Detroit health director.
• Defeated: Former Republican Representative Mike Rogers.
• Called by: The Associated Press, with Decision Desk HQ and Fox News also projecting an El-Sayed win in the early hours of Wednesday.
• Historic first: El-Sayed will be the first Muslim American to serve in the US Senate.
• Margin at the time of the call: El-Sayed led Rogers by about 52 percent to 46 percent with about 70 percent of the vote counted, according to the Detroit Free Press.
• Takes office: With the new Congress in January, succeeding retiring Senator Gary Peters.
• Status of results: These are race calls and projections based on votes counted so far, not final certified results.

How the Abdul El-Sayed Michigan Senate win was called

El-Sayed declared victory in a speech to supporters in the early hours of Wednesday, telling them: “Michigan, I cannot wait to serve you.” The Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed, and Decision Desk HQ and Fox News had also projected his win by 2 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press.

With about 70 percent of the vote counted, El-Sayed led Rogers by about 52 percent to 46 percent and had not trailed in the count during the night, the Detroit Free Press reported. Rogers, a former Republican representative, had also run for the open Senate seat in 2024.

A closely watched race in a battleground state

Michigan was one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the midterm elections. El-Sayed narrowly defeated Representative Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary by about one percentage point, according to NPR, and Stevens later endorsed Rogers in the closing days of the general-election campaign.

The result keeps the Michigan seat in Democratic hands and completes the Senate picture left open earlier on Wednesday, when Democrats were projected to win control of the chamber. El-Sayed will join the new Democratic Senate majority when the new Congress takes office in January.

All of the results reported here are race calls and projections from news organisations based on votes counted so far. Official certification follows later through the state authorities responsible for each election.

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