Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s US Senate race, defeating Republican candidate and former congressman Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
El-Sayed, 42, former public health official defeated Republic candidate Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent, in a closely contested race , according to media projection on Tuesday.
His victory preserves a crucial Democratic seat following the decision of incumbent Senator Gary Peters, also a Democrat, to retire. It also marks a major breakthrough for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
El-Sayed’s election is particularly significant because, although Muslims have previously served in the US House of Representatives, no Muslim had been elected to the Senate before his victory.
The Michigan race attracted national attention amid heated exchanges over his positions on Israel and US foreign policy, as well as attacks from Republican figures over his Muslim faith. El-Sayed denied allegations linking him to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he had never been a member.
El-Sayed campaigned in an economic platform centered on reducing the cost of living for working families, expanding access to healthcare and limiting the influence of wealthy corporations in politics.
A major component of his programme was Medicare for All, a proposal that seeks to establish a government-funded universal healthcare system for Americans.
El-Sayed’s victory extends a long-running GOP drought in the state. A Republican has not won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994. El-Sayed will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The clash between El-Sayed and Rogers, 63, was rated among the country’s most closely watched and aggressively fought, given El-Sayed’s alliance with progressive firebrands.
-9News Nigeria.
