Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim of Egyptian descent, has won the Michigan Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, delivering a crippling blow to AIPAC’s failed $60 million campaign to defeat him.
El-Sayed defeated Zionist U.S. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who had received $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in an effort to ensure his defeat.
El-Sayed now faces former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in November in what is considered one of a handful of competitive Senate races that could determine which party controls the chamber for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.
If he wins, El-Sayed will become the first Muslim senator in U.S. history.
El-Sayed announced his victory on his X account, saying: “Money out of politics. Money in your pocket. Medicare for All. Michigan…We won. I am so proud to be your Democratic nominee for US Senate. Let’s win in November.”
A key aspect of El-Sayed’s campaign was built on opposition to the United States’ relationship with Israel.
Speaking to CNN, a Michigan voter for El-Sayed said: “I voted for Abdul because he doesn’t take money from AIPAC. I’m not voting for anybody who takes money from AIPAC. The money should be spent here not over there [in Israel].”
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El-Sayed made it a key point during his campaign to call out Israel’s genocide in Gaza, arguing that U.S. money spent on conflicts that benefit Israel should instead be invested in local communities to address issues relating to healthcare, housing and infrastructure.
Campaigns from opposing parties attempted to exploit El-Sayed’s Muslim Arab identity through a wave of personal attacks.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, said voters “did not buy” the campaign of ads that negatively attacked “an Arab American Muslim man named Abdul.”
Campaign against El-Sayed
Stevens attempted to paint him as a sexist misogynist — a move which Arab American advocates said was built on stereotypes about Arab men.
Stevens is a staunch Zionist and public supporter of Israel who was previously heavily backed by AIPAC in 2022 to defeat Andy Levin, a progressive Jewish legislator.
El-Sayed’s victory is the latest electoral defeat for pro-Israel Democrats as U.S. public opinion reflects a growing shift against Israel and its overbearing influence on U.S. politics.
El-Sayed said in his victory speech: “I’m going to ask all of us as we think about where we go from here, always magnanimity in victory. So if your instinct is to be like ‘I told you,’ no. Let’s come together to build a movement that’s even bigger, that’s even stronger, that’s even more powerful, that reaches into the very depths of this state, that reminds us the best of who we are and who we can be.”
Next campaign
El-Sayed’s next challenge will be against Mike Rogers in November, in a race widely regarded as one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country.
El-Sayed said: “Mike – and I know you’re listening, Mike – we are coming for you.”
El-Sayed’s victory did not come as easily as his supporters may have hoped, as polls show that Stevens outperformed expectations which had projected a landslide defeat for her.
Stevens gained strong support among voters in Detroit, Michigan’s largest city.
El-Sayed won with 48.5% of the vote (780,950 votes) compared to Stevens’ 47.5% (727,057 votes).
The third candidate, Mallory McMorrow, a state legislator who finished with just 4% of the vote (61,250 votes), dropped out weeks before the election to endorse El-Sayed.
