El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to US Senate

DETROIT

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate after defeating Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

The Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed, a former public health official who will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters when the new Congress convenes in January.

“Michigan, we did it!” El-Sayed told supporters in Detroit early on Nov. 4. “I am so proud and honored to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.”

He thanked voters for their support and pledged to represent their interests in Washington.

El-Sayed also responded to President Donald Trump, who repeatedly targeted his Muslim faith and mocked his name during the campaign.

“So after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me senator,” he said, referring to Vice President JD Vance.

El-Sayed criticized the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), saying it had spent $42 million to defeat him.

He also defended Palestinians’ rights to peace, dignity and self-determination, rejecting attempts to portray support for those rights as hatred.

Palestinian children should be able to grow up on their ancestral land without being killed with U.S. taxpayer funding, he said.

El-Sayed called for Michigan taxpayers’ money to be spent on schools, health care and infrastructure at home, opposing its use to finance what he described as apartheid and war abroad.