Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s open Senate seat on Nov. 3, defeating former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers. He will be the first Muslim to serve in the United States Senate when he is sworn in on January 3.
El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official who had never held elected office, campaigned on health care, the cost of living and getting money out of politics. He also campaigned on ending military aid to Israel.
Concern in the Jewish community
That position, and the tone of parts of his campaign, alarmed many Jewish voters in Michigan. A poll of Jewish early voters found him running 21 points behind his party’s candidate for governor, and many Jewish Democrats said they voted for Rogers or skipped the race.
After the election, El-Sayed said he welcomed President Trump’s plan to cut aid to Israel and called for an end to arms sales. He also questioned American military support for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan.
The campaign was bitter on both sides. During the race, President Trump and Rogers suggested El-Sayed had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, claims that news organizations described as baseless.
Michigan has long been a battleground, and the result is expected to bring new attention to the growing influence of younger and more progressive voters in the state’s Democratic Party.