Abdul El-Sayed
Won Michigan's Senate seat Nov. 3 as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, despite an estimated $42 million in AIPAC spending against him. Registered Habibi PAC, a leadership fund for progressive allies, the day after.
Abdul El-Sayed is a week past winning Michigan's U.S. Senate seat and already building for January. The day after the race was called he registered Habibi PAC, a leadership fund to bankroll progressive allies and build influence in a Senate Democrats took with 54 seats, and he used his victory speech to needle Vice President JD Vance, who must swear him in: 'JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.'
The win made him the first Muslim elected to the Senate, one of a record 97 American Muslims to win this cycle, and he beat Republican Mike Rogers despite an estimated $42 million in AIPAC spending against him, the group's largest bet on a single race. Young Michigan men who backed Donald Trump in 2024 shifted to him, citing cost of living and U.S. involvement in Gaza and Iran.
The Israel questions have not let up. He has not answered 250 rabbis who demanded five public commitments at an October 24 Detroit rally; Nancy Pelosi called his views wrong even as she urged voters to back him; and Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers, citing his refusal to denounce an antisemitic commercial or retract his Israel criticism. His answer to that flap: 'None of this matters,' a turn back to Michigan voters' economic struggles.
The attacks on his faith and loyalty continue too. Trump accused him of being 'on the side of the terrorists'; he answered that Trump uses his name and his faith to distract from economic pain. He denies ever belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, though his half-sister says the family has long been associated with the group. This week researchers said an anonymous editor scrubbed his Wikipedia page before the election, removing details of his lack of a medical license and his tensions with Michigan's Jewish community.
He arrives in January with the trademark tight black T-shirt he frames as 'minimal look, maximal politics.'
On their plate
The day after his win he registered Habibi PAC, a leadership fund to raise money for progressive allies and build influence in the Senate, one of several newly elected Democrats to file one. In his victory speech he needled Vice President JD Vance over the oath: 'JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.' He won despite an estimated $42 million in AIPAC and affiliate spending against him, the group's largest investment against a single candidate.
A week after his win, researchers Ashley Rindsberg and Yehuda Teitelbaum said an anonymous Wikipedia editor whitewashed his page before the election, scrubbing details of his lack of a medical license and of tensions with Michigan's Jewish community. The claim keeps his record in the news just as he prepares to take office.
He has not answered 250 rabbis from Nonnegotiable Michigan who demanded five public Israel commitments, including explicit support for Jewish statehood, at an October 24 Detroit rally, and Nancy Pelosi called his opposition to 'ethno-states' wrong while still urging Michigan voters to back him. His campaign denied any role in a Rebellion PAC ad that Dan Goldman demanded he condemn as antisemitic, and his standing reply to Jewish-community critics is that his commitment to Jewish safety is the same as his commitment to his own kids. Haley Stevens premised her last-minute endorsement of his Republican opponent on his refusal to denounce an antisemitic commercial or retract his Israel criticism; he waved it off with 'None of this matters,' and Hakeem Jeffries and Jim Clyburn now back expelling her from the House Democratic caucus.
Donald Trump accused him of being 'on the side of the terrorists,' citing his CAIR associations and his refusal to condemn the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and El-Sayed answered that Trump uses his name and his faith to distract from the suffering his policies inflict at the pump, the grocery store and the doctor's office. At an October 17 town hall he denied ever belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, 'I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. I never will be,' though his half-sister says the family has long been associated with the group and he has declined to endorse U.S. terrorist designations of some Brotherhood branches. He calls himself a constitutionalist who rejects any conflict between his Muslim faith and liberal politics, defending transgender rights on the principle that government taking anyone's rights means assenting to taking everyone's; Betsy McCaughey has separately accused him of anti-Americanism and 'pseudoscience.'
He enters the Senate in January as the first Muslim ever elected to it, one of a record 97 American Muslims to win office this cycle, headlining a Michigan sweep that also put Jocelyn Benson in the governor's office; the election gave Democrats Senate control with 54 seats. Young Michigan men who backed Trump in 2024 shifted to him, citing cost of living and U.S. involvement in Gaza and Iran. He ran on proposals including public control of AI companies and built his public image on a tight black T-shirt he frames as 'minimal look, maximal politics,' meant to project authority and accessibility while rejecting corporate power dressing.
Key relationships
The Republican he defeated on Nov. 3 after a race in which Rogers branded his Israel remarks and his comments on transgender-student issues 'completely unacceptable' and courted both Black and Jewish voters.
Trump accused him of being 'on the side of the terrorists' in the race's final days; El-Sayed cast the attacks as a distraction from economic pain.
His primary rival, the House Democrat who endorsed his Republican opponent in the race's final hours, citing his refusal to denounce an antisemitic commercial or retract his Israel criticism. He answered with 'None of this matters.'
The vice president he taunted from the victory stage over the constitutional duty to administer his oath in January.
Campaigned with him in Michigan's final stretch as El-Sayed worked to shore up his base amid erosion among Jewish voters over his Israel rhetoric.
The party elder who publicly called his opposition to 'ethno-states' wrong and 'more than concerning' yet still urged Michigan voters to back him for Democratic control of Congress. He answered that his commitment to Jewish safety matches his commitment to his own kids.
