El-Sayed defeats Rogers to secure Michigan Senate seat

A former Wayne County health director, El-Sayed had earlier edged out Haley Stevens in a costly and fiercely contested Democratic primary. Stevens later endorsed Rogers on Sunday.

Addressing jubilant supporters after his victory, El-Sayed said the result sent a message to parents who had struggled to explain why the president publicly mocked people over their names or religious beliefs, declaring that “the bad guys lost.”

He reiterated his key campaign pledges, including tackling the rising cost of living, reducing the influence of money in politics, introducing Medicare for All and ending US funding for foreign wars.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to pay your taxes and know that that money is going to be spent on you and your kids,” he said, criticising government spending on overseas conflicts.

El-Sayed also took aim at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, accusing them of using Islamophobic and racially charged rhetoric against him during the campaign.

Responding to Trump's repeated difficulty pronouncing his name, El-Sayed said that after Vance swears him into office in January, the president could simply address him as “Senator.”

Michigan has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1994. However, the retirement of two-term Democratic Senator Gary Peters created an unusual opportunity for Republicans to challenge the party's hold on the seat.

The race emerged as a major battleground in the national struggle for control of the Senate, attracting more than $100 million in advertising expenditure since the August 4 primary, reports UNB.

“We showed that in a battle between the money and the many that the many can win,” El-Sayed said.