- Abdul El-Sayed could become America's first Muslim US Senator.
- Michigan Senate race against Mike Rogers is very tight.
- Campaign focuses on healthcare, workers' rights, and corporate influence.
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat running for the US Senate in Michigan, could make history in the November 3 midterm elections. If elected, the 41-year-old would become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate, a milestone that has brought national attention to his campaign.
El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary in August, defeating US Representative Haley Stevens by fewer than 15,000 votes. He will face Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in the general election for an open Senate seat. The contest is also important to the battle for control of the Senate.
El-Sayed’s candidacy has drawn attention not only because of the potential historic significance of his election but also because his Muslim identity has become a focus of political debate. His campaign has centred on healthcare affordability, workers’ rights and reducing corporate influence in politics, while his criticism of US support for Israel has drawn both support and opposition.
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At a town hall in Caro, Michigan, on October 17, an attendee asked El-Sayed whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. He replied, “Sure, yeah, absolutely,” before questioning why his faith was being linked to his loyalty to the US Constitution.
“I’m not running to be a Muslim senator. I’m running for the US Senate and happen to be Muslim,” he said.
Republican candidate Mike Rogers and other Republicans have sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, allegations the Democrat has denied. Reuters reported on October 23 that Rogers and allies were intensifying these attacks as they sought to weaken El-Sayed’s support among voters, including Jewish and Black voters in the Detroit area.
Who Is Abdul El-Sayed?
Born and raised in Michigan to an Egyptian immigrant father, El-Sayed studied biology and political science at the University of Michigan. He later earned a doctorate in public health from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and a medical degree from Columbia University.
He entered public health administration rather than practising medicine, becoming executive director of the Detroit Health Department in 2015. He subsequently led Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services.
El-Sayed first ran for governor of Michigan in 2018, campaigning on universal healthcare, environmental protection and tuition-free higher education. Although he lost the Democratic primary to Gretchen Whitmer, he gained prominence among progressive voters.
His Senate campaign has focused on Medicare for All, workers’ rights, affordable housing and limiting corporate influence in politics. He has also criticised US military support for Israel, making foreign policy another defining issue in his campaign.
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What Is At Stake In The Michigan Race?
Michigan is a competitive state, and the Senate race could determine who controls the chamber after the midterms. If he wins, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim ever elected to the Senate.
A recent poll revealed that the race for El-Sayed and Rogers was neck and neck, making the results all the more up in the air. His campaign will have to rally Democratic voters while reaching a larger audience in the face of polarisation on issues like healthcare, the economy, immigration and Gaza.
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