Michigan 2026 Senate election: Abdul El Sayed wins historic seat, CBS News projects
A closely watched Senate race
El-Sayed, 42, is a former Michigan health official who campaigned on a leftist platform. He won the Democratic primary after Sen. Gary Peters chose not to seek reelection, prompting national Democrats to debate whether a progressive could win in a state that voted twice for President Trump.
Rogers, 63, presented himself as a common-sense leader for Michigan. He criticized El-Sayed over past remarks and views on Israel, Iran and 9/11, as well as his connection to Hasan Piker. El-Sayed, in turn, portrayed Rogers as aligned with the president, despite Rogers’ efforts to distance himself from the White House.
Campaign disputes and criticism
Rep. Haley Stevens urged El-Sayed to condemn an outside group’s advertisement that connected U.S. military aid to Israel with rising grocery prices. She called the ad antisemitic. El-Sayed said it was not his work and that he disagreed with its contents.
Stevens was expected to join El-Sayed at a Sunday unity event with Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. A day earlier, El-Sayed told reporters he would rather not distract from the campaign’s key issues. Stevens said the issue was “this one vote,” citing what she described as repeated hate and El-Sayed’s association with Piker.
Political stakes in Michigan
Republicans faced a difficult political climate amid an unpopular war in Iran and high gas prices. The race became one of the midterm election’s most contentious contests as both campaigns challenged the other’s positions and political ties.
CBS News projected that El-Sayed defeated Rogers, preserving the Senate seat for Democrats. His election also marks the first time a Muslim has been elected to the U.S. Senate.
Key points
- CBS News projects that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race.
- El-Sayed’s win keeps the seat in Democratic hands.
- He becomes the nation’s first Muslim elected senator.
- The campaign featured disputes over El-Sayed’s views, political associations and an outside group’s advertisement.