US midterm elections 2026: Abdul El-Sayed declares victory as first Muslim elected to Senate

Egyptian-American progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory early on Wednesday in a highly coveted Michigan Senate seat, making him the first Muslim elected to the upper chamber of Congress.

El-Sayed declared victory with 80 percent of votes counted, showing him in a comfortable 51.8 percent led compared to his Republican opponent Mike Rogers at 46.2 percent. The Associated Press has yet to call the race, but Fox News and others did.

He will now replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

“I am so proud and honored to stand here as your senator-elect," Sayed said in an energized victory speech, where he said he was able to overcome Islamophobic slurs aimed at him by US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

"To all the parents who struggled to explain [to their kids] why the president openly mocked someone for their name or how they pray, let them know tomorrow that the bad guys lost," he said.