Abdul El‑Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, becomes first Muslim elected to U.S. Senate

Abdulrahman Mohamed El‑Sayed on Wednesday celebrated a landmark Senate victory in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the United States Senate. His win capped a night of gains that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress, according to the latest counts released after the midterm contests.

El‑Sayed — a public‑health physician of Egyptian heritage who ran as a progressive Democrat — defeated Republican Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched races this cycle. His campaign faced repeated attacks that questioned his loyalty and invoked anti‑Muslim language; El‑Sayed confronted that rhetoric directly in his victory remarks.

"My name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El‑Sayed and I am deeply proud and honored to stand here as your newly elected senator from the great state of Michigan," he told supporters. "You may have noticed that, up to this moment, I always said 'inshallah' — or 'if God wills it' — whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned. But tonight we can turn that 'inshallah' into 'alhamdulillah' — 'thanks be to God.'"

Democrats secure Senate and House majorities

The post‑election tally shows Democrats with 54 seats in the Senate, where 51 were needed to reclaim the majority, and roughly 228–231 seats in the House, enough to take control of the lower chamber. Published counts vary slightly between outlets, but the overall outcome is clear: the Democratic Party reclaimed both chambers after the midterms.

The night produced several historic firsts beyond El‑Sayed's success. Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governorship in Georgia and will be the first Black woman to hold that office. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa became the state's first governor of Latino heritage and the first Democrat to win the governorship there since 1990. Other notable results included James Talarico becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas in 38 years and Adam Hamilton winning a Senate contest in Kansas, a seat Democrats had not held since 1932.

Several Senate races remained too close to call in the immediate returns, including contests in Mississippi and Alaska. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump told the New York Times he is "absolutely ready to accept the election results. 'You know, we look forward to working with them (the Democrats)… We'll probably find a way to cooperate,'" remarks that underscore a fast‑evolving post‑election landscape.

Photo: EPA/SARAH YENESEL