Anti-Israel firebrand El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race

Abdul El-Sayed defeats Trump-backed candidate in Michigan, following a stormy campaign often focused on the Democratic candidate’s hostility toward Israel and allegations of family ties to radical Islam.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s US Senate election on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber and securing a key victory for the Democratic Party in the 2026 midterm elections.

The result preserves a Democratic-held seat that Republicans had hoped to capture as part of their efforts to retain control of the Senate.

Speaking to supporters at an election-night celebration in Detroit, El-Sayed invoked the Arabic expressions he had frequently used throughout his campaign.

“Today, tonight, we can turn that inshallah into alhamdulillah!” he declared, referring to the expressions meaning “God willing” and “praise be to God,” respectively.

El-Sayed also mocked President Donald Trump, who repeatedly misrepresented his name during the campaign and referred to him as Mohammed.

Referring to Vice President JD Vance’s responsibility for swearing in new senators, El-Sayed told Trump that he could now “just go on and call me ‘Senator.'”

The election followed an increasingly bitter campaign in which El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel and his opposition to American military assistance to the Jewish state became central points of contention.

El-Sayed has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide during its military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an allegation Israel rejects.

During a CBS “60 Minutes” interview broadcast Sunday, El-Sayed reiterated his position, declaring that “the state of Israel did a genocide.”

The Democratic candidate also criticized Washington’s longstanding military assistance to Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, arguing that American taxpayers’ money should instead fund domestic priorities, including healthcare, education and infrastructure.

During the same interview, El-Sayed was pressed about whether he believed Israel had a right to exist.

He initially questioned why Palestinian statehood was not subjected to the same scrutiny before answering affirmatively, but with qualifications concerning the political arrangements agreed upon by Israelis and Palestinians.

El-Sayed said he would support either a two-state solution or an alternative arrangement providing equal rights and self-determination to both peoples.

Rogers, a former Republican congressman and FBI agent, sharply criticized his opponent’s statements about Israel throughout the campaign.

“I passionately defend Israel’s right to defend itself and to exist as a Jewish state,” Rogers told CBS.

The Republican candidate also sought to appeal to Jewish voters concerned about growing antisemitism and El-Sayed’s positions on Israel.

Trump personally intervened in the race, repeatedly portraying El-Sayed as an extremist and accusing him of sympathizing with the Muslim Brotherhood.

At a campaign rally in Port Huron in late October, Trump described El-Sayed as a jihadist and claimed he had connections to the Islamist movement.

El-Sayed denied any association with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Beyond foreign policy, the contest highlighted competing economic agendas.

El-Sayed campaigned on a progressive platform that included universal healthcare, higher taxes, restrictions on corporate influence and measures to reduce living costs.

Rogers emphasized tax cuts, manufacturing jobs and economic policies intended to strengthen Michigan’s automobile industry. He also criticized Trump’s trade disputes with Canada and called for an end to the war with Iran.

El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, previously served as Detroit’s health director and unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor in 2018.

He secured the party’s Senate nomination in August after narrowly defeating Rep. Haley Stevens, who was backed by much of the Democratic establishment.