A Doctor in Michigan Could Become the First Muslim US Senator

Abdul El-Sayed, an Egyptian American doctor, won Michigan's Democratic primary — the contest that picks each party's candidate — in August 2026, despite anti-Muslim attacks. On September 6, he told an Islamic Society conference that being Muslim and American are "not mutually exclusive." If he beats Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers in November, he'd be the first Muslim US senator, in a race that could tip Senate control.