Abdul El‑Sayed becomes first Muslim U.S. senator

politicsNov 4, 2026191,864

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, a call the Associated Press projected, making El-Sayed the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Senate. With roughly 85 percent of votes counted, El-Sayed held 51.9 percent to Rogers’s 46.1 percent, securing the seat for Democrats. The campaign drew national attention and high-profile endorsements: former President Barack Obama campaigned for El-Sayed, and Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared in Grand Rapids to support him, while President Donald Trump headlined a rally for Rogers. El-Sayed narrowly won a contentious Democratic primary over Rep. Haley Stevens by about one percentage point; Stevens later endorsed Rogers in the general election. The contest featured sharp clashes over policy and identity, with El-Sayed advocating Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, and cutting military aid to Israel, and Rogers warning that single-payer would cost trillions and limit choices. Foreign policy and religion were focal points: critics cited El-Sayed’s remarks that Israel was not a "friend" of the United States, and President Trump accused El-Sayed of being a "jihadist" at a Michigan rally. El-Sayed has said he is not a democratic socialist and has criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, signaling potential intraparty debates about the Democratic caucus’s direction.

Zeteo

@zeteo.com

“I just want to say to Donald Trump and Mike Rogers and Elon Musk and JD Vance… Cry more!” @mehdirhasan calls out MAGA after the first Muslim-American is set to take office in the U.S. Senate: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed! Follow our midterms coverage at zeteo.com!

7384h ago

Nat King Coleslaw 7

God that is a TONIC

AlanShares6

The live chat was spamming "cry more" in anticipation of this. It was hilarious. Must have felt so cathartic, Mehdi! Thank you (and Prem + the team) for your work to get to this point. Condolences on your voice for tomorrow.

tekbruh.bsky.social3

I watched the live stream and it was epic. You could see @mehdirhasan.bsky.social he had been waiting for this moment to unload what he wanted to say 😂

Citizen V2

Somone get Mehdi a hot toddy or a green tea sweetened with honey

Lynn Roseberry, LL.M, Ph.D.1

Saying what I’m feeling. ❤️

Quoting this

Step 🐸2

Mehdi you’re not even American you silly goose 🤣❤️

NPR

@npr.org

El-Sayed's campaign tested how an antiestablishment candidate on the left would fare in a perennial Midwest battleground. With the win, he'll become the first Muslim American to serve in the Senate. n.pr/4z4Bqlh

5543h ago

The Street Talk6

He’s a normal D who had vicious racism hurled in both races. the media just pretended that was normal. Voters saw otherwise. Ugly racism should have been the story. We just had to wait to make sure this shit doesn’t play. And it doesn’t. But that was the story you missed. 💚

Sougata2

Happy Successful Regime Change America. The right way.

satismo1

i love that america collectively told israel to fuck right off to hell where it belongs

Jerome Čop1

The money that was spent against him, just in the primary alone, was insane. Then came the bigoted, Islamophobic rhetoric from the right. Glad to see my fellow Michiganders weren't swayed by their BS.

Quoting this

Mike Elk8

Brazilian activists knew who El-Sayed was - this win connects the US left with the Global Left

texas instruments is a scam3

been waiting all day for this retweet

Yashar Ali 🐘

@yasharali.bsky.social

Abdul El-Sayed is projected to win the U.S. Senate race in Michigan. He defeats Mike Rogers. El-Sayed makes history as the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

3634h ago

turkey Dan, gobble gobble1

Big thanks to Haley Stevens for her contributions🤣

Crystal1

Chris Pappas the new senator elect from New Hampshire makes history as the first out gay Senator.

Helen Lewis

@helenlewis.bsky.social

Abdul El-Sayed winning is a big deal for foreign policy: the Senate will now have a fierce, articulate critic of the U.S.-Israel alliance. I profiled him in September: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

541h ago

Martin Nutbeem

@martinnutbeem.bsky.social

Apparently Abdul El-Sayed just talked down Yorkshire Puddings to a BBC Journalist SMH.

341h ago

Nate Bethea

@inthesedeserts.bsky.social

[A.P. Wire, Lansing, MI] Abdul El-Sayed: "We're going to bring down everybody's grocery prices. I don't know what the fuck Waitrose is and I don't care. If I was obligated to care about transvestigating what your choice of supermarket says about your social class I'd probably want to kill myself."

301h ago

Joe Scaramanga

@joescaramanga.co.uk

Apparently Abdul El-Sayed told a BBC journalist he tramples fields of poppies for a luagh.

281h ago

T(errifying) C(ryptid) Parker (she/her)

@tcparker.bsky.social

Congratulations to Abdul El-Sayed, a man who finally said what most of us have been wanting to say to UK legacy media journalists for at least a decade

161h ago

Lucy Fishwife 🥐

@lucyfishwife.bsky.social

Apparently Abdul El-Sayed told the Queen that James Bond should be American

61h ago

Political Satirical

@politicalsatirical.bsky.social

Abdul El-Sayed, knocking the fucking Mario coins out of Couch fucker and the Lame Duck President.

51h ago

The Liberal BoJack

@thelibbojack.bsky.social

BREAKING: WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins election to U.S. Senate from Michigan.

81h ago

The Liberal BoJack1

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STEAMLORD

@exoplanetdinosaur.bsky.social

Ilhan Omar and Abdul El Sayed: their election is a tribute to the fundamental decency of ordinary people

51h ago

Van3ssaV 🦋

@shewithcapitalv.bsky.social

I know this isn't the point but Abdul El-Sayed is very handsome isn't he? And super bright. Articulate too. And calls himself 'a girl dad' 🥹. Hot Senator 🌊

51h ago

Woodo2

America's secret sauce all along was apparently handsome charismatic Muslims with liberal views, they just didn't realise it. Can't think of anything more machine tooled to boil right wing gammon piss.