Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed extends Diwali wishes

US senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed extended Diwali greetings to those celebrating the festival, days after making history in Michigan's Senate race by becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.

"Happy Diwali to all who celebrate the Festival of Light," he wrote in a post on X.

El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the November 2026 election, marking a historic milestone. His Diwali message also brought attention to his close connection with the South Asian community, particularly through his family

'Our fight is my fight': El-Sayed at Diwali rally

Earlier, El-Sayed had joined hundreds of Michigan Democrats and members of the South Asian community at a Diwali celebration and voter outreach event on November 2.

The gathering, titled 'South Asians Unite Michigan: Light Up the Vote Rally', was held at the SoHo Banquet and Event Centre in Westland, four days before the November 3 midterm elections. It was organised by youth-led South Asian political group SAATH and Indian American Impact.

The event also featured state House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, among other political and community leaders.

Addressing the gathering, El-Sayed said his connection with the South Asian community was personal, as he was raising two daughters who are half Indian.

"I'm raising two Indian-American daughters in the United States of America, and so when I say that our fight is my fight and my fight is our fight, I mean that honestly," he said.

He also described the community as a source of hope, adding, "The hard part about overcoming darkness with light is you just got to get that little spark first. We're here today because you all are that spark," The Michigan Daily quoted him as saying.

El-Sayed's connection with India

El-Sayed is married to Dr Sarah Jukaku, whose family traces its roots to Bhatkal in Karnataka. She is the granddaughter of JH Shamsuddin Jukaku, a lawyer and former deputy finance minister in the erstwhile Mysore State.

El-Sayed has also spoken about his close ties with his wife's South Indian family. He once remarked that after nearly 20 years of marriage, he might be "more Indian than an Arab".