Abdul El-Sayed: From Detroit Health Commissioner to Michigan's Senator-Elect.
Abdul El-Sayed's Historic Rise: Breaking Barriers in American Politics. Abdul El-Sayed: From Detroit Health Commissioner to Michigan's Senator-Elect A profile of the politics, record and history of the man set to become the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate. Based on published reporting as of November 4, 2026. Abdulrahman Mohamed "Abdul" El-Sayed, 42, is an epidemiologist, public health administrator, academic and progressive Democrat. On November 3, 2026, he defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's U.S. Senate race, according to reporting by The Guardian. When he takes office on January 3, 2027, succeeding the retiring Gary Peters, he will be the first Muslim in the Senate. Bridge Michigan's election-night coverage described the contest as bitterly fought, record-setting in outside spending, and potentially decisive for control of Congress. His path there runs through a lost 2018 race for governor, a stint rebuilding Detroit's health departmen...