Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, has become the first Muslim senator in the U.S. after securing 2.2 million votes in Michigan, about 52 per cent, to defeat Republican candidate Mike Rogers and Libertarian Lydia Christensen.
Mr El-Sayed, 42, an immigrant born to Egyptian parents, fought a hard-won victory given his candidacy was highly scrutinised over his ties to Islam and open rebuke of Israel.
Results showed Mr El-Sayed led with 52 per cent, the GOP candidate scored 46.1 per cent, and Ms Christensen got one per cent of total votes cast.
Mr El-Sayed’s candidacy struggled after Haley Stevens, a Democratic candidate he defeated in the primary, withdrew her support two days before the midterm polls.
Mrs Stevens endorsed the Republican candidate, saying she could no longer support Mr El-Sayed over what she described as anti-semitism. She asked Mr El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement promoting his candidacy, which blamed U.S. support for Israel for rising cost of goods and the war in Iran.
Mr El-Sayed declined and publicly uninvited her from a joint appearance they were scheduled to have in Detroit. Ms Stevens withdrew her support two nights before the election.
The move stunned Democrats who viewed her actions as a betrayal to the party. But her clout appeared limited with Mr El-Sayed’s victory at the polls.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Mr El-Sayed in Michigan, a presidential battleground where President Donald Trump won by 1.4 points to defeat Kamala Harris in November 2024.
Senator Gary Peters, the incumbent Michigan senator, will retire after his term expires in January, when Mr El-Sayed is scheduled to be sworn in.
