How Abdul Sayed’s Michigan Senate race win made history amid a national Democratic wave
A hard-fought path to victory
El-Sayed narrowly secured the Democratic nomination in August after a fierce contest with US Rep. Haley Stevens, who had establishment backing. His campaign also faced $30 million in AIPAC spending on Stevens’s behalf.
In the general election, El-Sayed beat Republican nominee Mike Rogers. Two days before Election Day, Stevens endorsed Rogers, saying El-Sayed had not sufficiently condemned an ad by a super PAC unaffiliated with his campaign that critics called antisemitic.
Attacks and political tensions
Republicans, including President Donald Trump, made Islamophobic attacks against El-Sayed. Trump called him a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member,” according to the article, and said he would create “a nightmare of violence and terror” in the United States.
El-Sayed also had strained relations with some pro-Israel Democrats, who criticized his response to antisemitic rhetoric from some supporters. Other Jewish Democrats defended him, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, a longtime supporter.
A progressive agenda in Michigan
El-Sayed’s platform includes Medicare-for-all, sweeping social welfare spending, abolishing ICE, and a full arms embargo on Israel. He has also criticized billionaire and corporate influence.
A longer political journey
El-Sayed, a Rhodes scholar, epidemiology professor, and public health administrator, first ran for office in 2018, seeking the Democratic nomination for Michigan governor. He backed Medicare-for-all and received support from Sanders and US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but lost to Gretchen Whitmer, who later won two terms as governor.
Afterward, El-Sayed remained active on the left through podcasts and work as health director of Wayne County, which includes Detroit. Following the outbreak of the Gaza war, he criticized the Biden administration’s support for Israel and accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of genocide. In Michigan’s 2024 Democratic presidential primary, he voted “uncommitted” to send a message.
Key points
- Abdul El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers for Michigan’s open Senate seat.
- A nationwide Democratic wave helped candidates across the country.
- His platform includes Medicare-for-all and a full arms embargo on Israel.