Abdul Al-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to American Senate

Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed has written a new chapter in the history of the American Senate by achieving a historic victory in the US midterm elections. By winning the Michigan Senate seat as the Democratic Party candidate, he has become the first Muslim Senator to enter the upper house of the US Congress, the Senate. While Muslim members have previously been elected to the lower house (House of Representatives), this is the first instance of a Muslim leader reaching the Senate.

Abdul Al-Sayed announced his victory during a celebration event held in Detroit. Speaking emotionally at his workplace, he said, "Michigan, we did it! I feel great pride and honour to stand before you as the Senator of Michigan." He faced a direct contest against Republican Party candidate and former congressman Mike Rogers. According to New York Times figures, in this highly competitive election, Al-Sayed secured 51.7 per cent of the votes, while Mike Rogers, considered close to President Donald Trump, faced defeat with 46.3 per cent of the votes.

Abdul Al-Sayed's victory comes as the Democratic Party seeks to regain control of the Senate. He will replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. This election was widely discussed in Michigan as the state had closely supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election. During Al-Sayed's campaign, issues such as 'Universal Healthcare' and government accountability were central to his agenda. He promised to work towards changing America's complex and profit-driven medical system so that ordinary citizens do not have to pay massive bills when visiting a doctor.

During the election campaign, Al-Sayed faced fierce opposition and allegations. The Republican Party ran an aggressive campaign to portray Democrats as communists. President Donald Trump adopted an extremely aggressive stance against Al-Sayed, labeling him a "radical jihadist" and a supporter of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump also claimed at rallies that Al-Sayed wants to implement Sharia law in the United States and should be checked by a metal detector before entering the Senate.

Al-Sayed faced opposition not only from outside but also internal resistance within his own party. In the Democratic primary election held in August 2026, he defeated MP Haley Stevens, who had the support of the establishment, by a narrow margin. However, in the final stage of the election, Haley Stevens created a controversy by supporting Republican Mike Rogers instead of Al-Sayed. Despite this hurdle, Al-Sayed succeeded in winning the trust of Michigan's voters.

In his victory speech, Abdul Al-Sayed attacked the American system, stating that America's strength lies not in ignoring its flaws, but in showing the courage to correct them. He spoke of challenging the special interests of corporate companies and the wealthy. Mentioning the economic hardships of citizens, he said that in the wealthiest country in the world, people should not face such difficulty in buying groceries, filling petrol, buying a house, or visiting a doctor. He further added, "Paying taxes and knowing that your tax is being spent on you and your children, and not on dropping bombs on children of another country, should not be this difficult."

Regarding Israel, he clarified that if someone believes that Palestinian children have the right to live innocently on their ancestors' land and that American taxes should not be used for the opposite, it should not be called hate. He said that talking about equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination for all people is not hate, but love. He messaged the voters that we do not need to 'make great again', but rather need to embrace the will to improve ourselves, which is where we have always been great.

Abdul Al-Sayed's political and professional journey began in the medical field. He entered politics after training as a doctor. He stated that the flaws in the political system are the primary cause of people's health problems. He is also the first Democratic doctor elected to the US Senate since 1969. During his campaign, he promised to remove money from politics and make the government functional for ordinary citizens.

Abdul Al-Sayed was born and raised in metro Detroit, Michigan, and his father was an immigrant from Egypt. He graduated in Biology and Political Science from the University of Michigan. Subsequently, he obtained a medical degree from Columbia University and completed a second doctorate from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He also served as the Director at the Van County Department of Health. He was also working as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, where his research focused on public health systems and health inequality.