‘Call me senator’: How Abdul El-Sayed beat Trump’s hate to create history

What the report says

Abdul El-Sayed, a 42-year-old Democrat, has defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, according to Al Jazeera’s report, becoming the first Muslim elected to the Senate. The election result came after a campaign in which El-Sayed said he faced racist and Islamophobic attacks from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom had backed or echoed criticism of him. Michigan is a closely watched swing state, making the outcome politically significant beyond the historic first.

In his victory remarks, El-Sayed turned the insults back on his opponents and emphasized that he would soon take office in the chamber they had sought to deny him. He also framed the win as a rejection of intolerance and as a message to families who had watched public figures mock religion and ethnic identity. Al Jazeera reported that he was projected to win with a little over 52 percent of the vote, with most ballots counted.

The article says El-Sayed’s campaign centered on affordability, healthcare and opposition to U.S. military involvement abroad. He has supported universal healthcare, criticized rising living costs and argued that government spending should prioritize domestic needs. The report also notes his background as a physician and public health official from the Detroit area, and says he previously ran for Michigan governor in 2018. His Senate victory also marked a setback for Republican efforts in a state Trump had carried comfortably two years earlier.