Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to US Senate in Michigan
Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's US Senate race on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim elected to the Senate despite an Islamophobic campaign against him. He framed his victory as a rejection of hate-based politics. President Donald Trump and Republican opponent Mike Rogers repeatedly branded El-Sayed a terrorist and jihadist, with campaign mailers alleging ties to extremists and plans for sharia law. El-Sayed, a 42-year-old Egyptian American physician, ran on healthcare and cost-of-living issues. Experts called it one of the most overtly bigoted campaigns in modern US politics, with little pushback from Republican elites. Dearborn residents reported rising anti-Muslim hostility, though most voters dismissed the attacks as distractions from economic concerns.