Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has made new history in US politics. Defeating Republican rival Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate election, he has been elected the first Muslim senator in the country's history.
In the election, El-Sayed secured victory by receiving 2,236,824 votes. His rival, former Congressman and FBI official Mike Rogers, backed by President Donald Trump, received 1,992,133 votes. With this victory by a margin of 244,691 votes, holding the Democratic seat in Michigan was ensured. Basically, because the seat's outgoing Democratic Senator Gary Peters did not participate in the election this time, the party feared losing the seat.
The main pledges of the election campaign of 42-year-old former public health official El-Sayed were reducing the cost of living, financial protection for working people, and limiting corporate influence in politics. In addition, his proposal to ensure publicly funded healthcare for all, or 'Medicare for All', also played an important role in his campaign.