Abdul El-Sayed was elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan, becoming the first Muslim to hold the office, according to the article. (Foto: Instagram)
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed was elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan, making him the first Muslim to hold the office in the United States, according to the source. His contest against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers was described by U.S. media as one of the closest races in the election. In the campaign’s final days, El-Sayed also appeared alongside former President Barack Obama.
El-Sayed celebrated his victory on social media, writing that Michigan had accomplished what others said could not be done. “We won. Together. Now the real work begins,” he said. The newly elected senator is a physician and the son of Egyptian immigrants.
During the campaign, El-Sayed faced repeated xenophobic attacks from President Donald Trump. Trump called him a fraud and a liar, disputed his portrayal as a moderate, and labeled him “a sick, violent jihadist” who had no place in the government. The remarks were attacks by Trump, not established facts about El-Sayed.
El-Sayed has sought to avoid making religious issues central to his campaign, but publicly criticized U.S. support for Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. His positions prompted Haley Stevens, a fellow Democrat who had lost in the primary, to endorse Rogers. In a social media video, Stevens said, “My place is not on Abdul’s campaign.”
