El-Sayed Secures Michigan Senate Seat Amidst Fierce Opposition
Democrat defeats Republican Mike Rogers, becoming nation's first Muslim senator despite significant financial and political challenges.
Carla Rooney
Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan's open Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, faced substantial financial opposition throughout his campaign.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent nearly $30 million opposing El-Sayed.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, had never held elected office before this race. His opponent, Mike Rogers, a former congressman, narrowly lost a Senate race to Elissa Slotkin two years ago.
Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994.
Rogers previously opposed the Affordable Care Act and defended the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.
Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned with El-Sayed in Detroit. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders helped build momentum for El-Sayed early in the campaign, with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joining him for a final campaign swing.
Abdul El-Sayed indicated that Clinton personally encouraged him to consider a career in politics after the speech.
A 2007 University of Michigan commencement video resurfaced before Election Day. The footage showed former President Bill Clinton praising then-student valedictorian Abdul El-Sayed.
El-Sayed claims Clinton personally encouraged him to consider a career in politics after the speech. Meanwhile, Donald Trump held a rally with Mike Rogers in Port Huron, Michigan, as gas prices in the state stood at approximately $4.83 a gallon.
Trump and other Republicans repeatedly sought to link El-Sayed to terrorist organizations, despite no evidence of such ties. They also questioned his loyalty to the United States.
Haley Stevens stunned the party by endorsing Rogers on the eve of the election. Stevens doubled down with a barrage of attacks on El-Sayed.