Abdul El-Sayed, a doctor and progressive Democrat, has made history after defeating Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely watched US Senate election, becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the United States Senate.
El-Sayed, 42, secured victory in Tuesday’s November 3, 2026, midterm election, winning the seat previously held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.
However, beyond the historic significance of his victory, the incoming senator attracted attention with a series of pointed remarks directed at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom had criticised him during the campaign. 
In his victory speech, El-Sayed addressed Vance, highlighting what he described as the irony of the vice president being constitutionally required to preside over his swearing-in in January.
“JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January. So you know what that means? Wolverine 1, Buckeye 0,” he said.
His reference to Wolverine and Buckeye drew on the longstanding rivalry between the University of Michigan and Ohio State University.
El-Sayed also took a swipe at Trump over the president’s repeated difficulty pronouncing his name during the election campaign.
“Donald, look, I know you struggled with my name, so after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me senator,” he said.
The Democrat also criticised the influence of political action committees and special-interest groups in American elections, particularly their spending against his candidacy.
He singled out the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), claiming the pro-Israel lobbying organisation spent $42 million campaigning against him.
El-Sayed thanked the organisation for giving him the opportunity to defeat it twice, referring to his victories in the Democratic primary and the general election.
He further highlighted the financial challenges his campaign faced, claiming that his political movement had overcome record-breaking outside spending and substantial financial disadvantages.
“We showed that together, we can defeat a record $70 million of outside spending, an 11-to-1 money disadvantage in a primary election, that we can defeat a quarter of a billion dollars in a general election,” he told supporters.
Concluding his victory speech, the incoming senator declared that his campaign had overcome powerful political interests and established political structures.
“Tonight, Michigan, we beat a machine,” he said.
El-Sayed’s victory represents a historic milestone for Muslim representation in American national politics. His campaign focused on issues including universal healthcare, reducing living costs, tackling corporate influence in politics and expanding economic opportunities for working families.
His emergence as Michigan’s next senator also marks a significant moment for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
NewsMediang.com reports that his victory was among the notable outcomes of the November 2026 US midterm elections, which saw Democrats make major gains in Congress.
