Washington, November 2026 : Egyptian-American Democrat and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed has made history by becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, defeating Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race. His victory also makes him the first Democratic doctor to enter the Senate since 1969.
Addressing supporters at his election headquarters in Detroit, El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, celebrated the result and thanked voters for their confidence.
"Michigan, we did it! I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your Senator-elect from the great state of Michigan," he said.
El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official who had never held elected office, secured the Senate seat after suffering a double-digit defeat in Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2018. His latest victory marks a significant turnaround in his political career.
His campaign also faced an unexpected challenge shortly before polling, when Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed had defeated in the Democratic primary, extended her support to Republican candidate Rogers at the last minute. Despite the development, El-Sayed managed to win the closely watched Michigan contest.
Universal healthcare, campaign finance reform and criticism of Israel were among the prominent themes of his campaign, according to reports. He argued that access to medical treatment should not leave ordinary Americans burdened with enormous bills.
"You deserve to be able to see a doctor without getting a huge bill," El-Sayed told Michigan voters on the eve of the election.
He pledged to challenge what he described as the country's divisive, multi-billion-dollar for-profit healthcare system, push for greater transparency in politics and address the economic difficulties faced by working families. His campaign also called for removing outside money from elections and reducing the influence of wealthy interests in public policy.
Born and raised in southeast Michigan, El-Sayed attended public schools and grew up in a family with Egyptian-American roots. His father, Mohamed, immigrated from Egypt, while his stepmother, Jackie, comes from a family with a long history in Gratiot County, Michigan.
He graduated from the University of Michigan, where he also played lacrosse for the Wolverines men's team. He subsequently earned his medical degree from Columbia University through a fellowship funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
El-Sayed later completed a second doctorate at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters, Emmalee and Serene.
His election marks a milestone in the representation of Muslim Americans and healthcare professionals in the US Senate, while giving Michigan a new Democratic voice in national politics.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
