Abdul El-Sayed Makes History as First Muslim Elected to US Senate

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has expressed excitement after being projected to win Michigan’s midterm election, describing his emergence as senator-elect as a proud and honourable moment.

The 42-year-old Egyptian-American is set to make history as the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate after defeating former Republican Representative Mike Rogers in Tuesday’s election.

El-Sayed Celebrates Projected Victory

Speaking to supporters on Tuesday night in a video shared by Fox News, El-Sayed reflected on his campaign and his frequent use of the Islamic expression “Inshallah”, meaning “God willing”, whenever he discussed the election outcome.

He said: “My name is Abdulrahman Mohamed Sayed, and I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.”

He added that he had consistently used the expression during the campaign but could now replace it with “Alhamdulillah”, an Arabic phrase meaning “praise be to God”.

A Milestone for Muslim Representation

According to Anadolu Agency, El-Sayed’s projected victory secures the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

The former public health official will assume office when the new Congress convenes in January.

His emergence followed a competitive Democratic primary in August, where he defeated Representative Haley Stevens to secure the party’s ticket for the general election.

His projected election marks a historic milestone for Muslim representation in American politics.

Punch Newspapers