Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Senate Race, Becomes First Muslim Elected to US Senate
Physician and public health specialist Abdul El-Sayed has defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan's U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Mike Rogers in a contest held to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. With the win, El-Sayed becomes the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, a milestone in the chamber's history.
According to the latest count, El-Sayed had secured 1,995,543 votes, or 51.8 percent, while Rogers trailed with 1,779,101 votes, or 46.2 percent. Roughly 77.6 percent of the estimated vote had been counted, leaving about 1.1 million ballots outstanding. NBC News reported that Rogers would need to capture around 58.7 percent of the remaining ballots to overtake El-Sayed, a margin widely seen as unlikely.
El-Sayed, a physician and epidemiologist, campaigned on universal healthcare, lowering everyday costs and support for workers. His professional background includes leading public health agencies in Detroit and Wayne County. He directed the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017 and later headed Wayne County's Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services from 2023 to 2025.
Before entering electoral politics, El-Sayed built a career in medicine, research and teaching. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University and completed a doctorate in public health at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also taught epidemiology at Columbia and hosted America Dissected, a podcast focused on public health issues.
El-Sayed first drew national attention during his progressive campaign in Michigan's 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary. He later set his sights on the Senate, and in 2026 he defeated U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary to secure the nomination for Peters' seat. That victory set up the general election contest against Rogers.
Healthcare remains central to El-Sayed's agenda. He advocates universal coverage and co-authored the book Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide. His victory places him on course to bring his public health experience and progressive priorities to Washington.
