Michigan voters reject 'hateful, spiteful campaign' as El-Sayed wins Senate seat

Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan's senator-elect, said Wednesday that voters rejected a "hateful, spiteful campaign" after Republican attacks on his Muslim identity, as Democrats secured a significant Senate majority in Tuesday's midterms. El-Sayed, who will become the nation's first Muslim senator, defeated Republican Mike Rogers by 7 percentage points with nearly all votes counted. President Donald Trump had repeatedly called him a "jihadist," and every Michigan county shifted toward Democrats compared with 2024. El-Sayed rose from a double-digit gubernatorial defeat eight years ago to win the primary despite being outspent. He declined to commit to supporting Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, saying "we need new leadership," though Schumer is expected to retain his position.