Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a figure on the left wing of the party, won the Senate race in Michigan on Wednesday against Republican Mike Rogers. The end of the campaign of this son of Egyptian immigrants was marked by the unexpected rallying of Representative Haley Stevens, whom he had beaten in the primaries, to his Republican opponent Mike Rogers.

Published on: 04/11/2026 - 09:05

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“Proud and honored.” Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, from the left wing of the party, claimed victory in the senatorial election in the state of Michigan, claiming to have beaten his Republican rival Mike Rogers.

“Michigan, we did it!” declared this doctor during a speech delivered from Detroit on the night of Tuesday November 3 to Wednesday November 4. “I am so proud and honored to stand here as the senator-elect of your great state of Michigan.”

He becomes the first Muslim senator in the United States. “Mike, enjoy your retirement,” he added. "You chose hate and Michigan chose hope. May we never have to see people like you in this state again."

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The end of the campaign for this son of Egyptian immigrants was marked by the unexpected rallying of Democratic representative Haley Stevens, whom he had beaten in the primaries, to his Republican opponent Mike Rogers.

Criticism of US support for Israel

Donald Trump and his supporters have increased attacks against him, notably accusing him and his family of maintaining links with the Muslim Brotherhood and the jihadist organization Al-Qaeda. Calling him "Mohammed", the American president designated him as "a terrorist sympathizer".

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Omnipresent on social networks, Abdul El-Sayed also attracted crowds during his electoral rallies across Michigan, including in deeply conservative Republican strongholds.

“You should be able to consult a doctor without receiving an exorbitant bill,” he declared on the eve of the election, promising to attack the American health system, expensive and largely based on the private sector.

He has also made the fight against the influence of money in politics one of his hobbyhorses, presenting himself as the candidate for change against political leaders considered too linked to economic interests.

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A virulent critic of American support for Israel, Abdul El-Sayed has also aroused the hostility of part of the Jewish community, in a state which also has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the country.

In addition to being the first Muslim in the Senate, he must also become the first Democratic doctor to sit in this chamber since 1969.

With AFP

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