Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate seat, first Muslim elected to US Senate

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate seat for Michigan, defeating Republican Mike Rogers in a closely contested race, US media projected. Anadolu Agency reported that the win makes him the first Muslim elected to the US Senate and keeps the seat in Democratic hands.

El-Sayed is a former Wayne County health director. According to Al Jazeera, he narrowly beat Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary, and Stevens endorsed Rogers on Sunday. The seat opened up because two-term Democratic Senator Gary Peters retired.

Al Jazeera noted that no Republican has won a Senate race in Michigan since 1994. The contest drew well over $100m in advertising since the August 4 primary.

El-Sayed's campaign priorities include affordability, getting money out of politics, Medicare for All and ending funding for foreign wars. Arab News reported that he had endorsements from leading progressives such as Bernie Sanders.

Al Jazeera reported that Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump both made Islamophobic and racially charged remarks about El-Sayed during the campaign, and that he criticised them. Anadolu said he beat back attacks on his faith.

In his victory remarks, El-Sayed said: "We showed that in a battle between the money and the many that the many can win."

He also said: "To all the parents who struggled to explain why the president openly mocks someone for their name or how they pray, let them know tomorrow that the bad guys lost."

Addressing Trump, he said: "Donald – I know you struggled with my name. So after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on to call me Senator."