US Midterms 2026: Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan race, becomes first Muslim American to be elected to US Senate

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the Michigan Senate race, and has defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the US midterm election results declared on Wednesday (Nov 4). With this victory, Abdul El-Sayed made history as he will be first Muslim American elected to the US Senate. This was one of the most closely watched race in the US Midterm Elections 2026. Rogers was backed by US President Donald Trump. Rogers and El Sayed clashed in a high-stakes televised debate covering key economic and foreign policy pressures, including inflation and gas prices, international trade tariffs, and the impact of economic relations with Canada. The race also drew substantial national investment, with Republican groups spending roughly $104 million compared to $55 million by Democratic organisations. El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination after narrowly defeating moderate US Representative Haley Stevens in a closely contested primary.

How Trump made the campaign about El-Sayed?

Escalating his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Trump urged Jewish voters to not support him. He said those supporting him should “be ashamed of themselves.” “Michigan needs to stand up and fight,” Trump said Sunday as he tried to boost Republican candidates running in the Nov. 3 midterm elections in Michigan. “Stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol.” He went on to compare El-Sayed to the attackers who took over United Flight 93 during the September 11, ‌2001, attacks. He also attacked El-Sayed on Saturday by referring him as “Mohammed” and making a generalisation about names from the region. Critics accused Trump of making racist and Islamophobic comments. "The guy in Michigan is pretty bad too -- Mohammed, as I call him ... if you have any question about somebody from that part of the world's name, just call him 'Mohammed,' you'll be right 64% of the time."

Obama supported of El-Sayed

Obama shared stage with El-Sayed on Oct 24, at a high-stakes campaign rally at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan and condemned critics, including Trump who were using El-Sayed's name or Muslim faith to attack him. “We have seen this movie before. I starred in it,” Obama told a packed high school gymnasium in Detroit. “I have got a long-form birth certificate to prove it.” He added: “Abdul is as Michigan as it gets.” The former president rejected claims that El-Sayed was a radical, saying, “Abdul shares my values.”