politics
Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to U.S. Senate
El-Sayed defeated Mike Rogers 52.5% to 45.5% in Michigan's Senate race despite attacks from Trump, Vance, Cruz and Kennedy calling him a jihadist. He won with majorities among Black and Jewish early voters.
Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers 52.5% to 45.5% in Michigan’s Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
President Donald Trump called El-Sayed a jihadist and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood during the campaign, according to The Guardian. Sen. John Kennedy said El-Sayed “sleeps in a Bin Laden jersey.” Sen. Ted Cruz called him a “jihadist leprechaun.” Vice President JD Vance called him “evil.”
Campaign mailers linked El-Sayed to Sharia law. El-Sayed responded by saying he supported “shawarma law,” according to Politico.
El-Sayed won with majorities among Black voters and Jewish early voters, according to The Guardian. He ran behind other Democrats in heavily Jewish communities. In Huntington Woods, he ran 15 points behind Janelle Benson.
Trump said he would cut off $4 billion in military aid to Israel if “lunatics like an El-Sayed” entered the Senate. El-Sayed said he will work with Trump where possible but finds the president and Vance “odious.”
The mayor of Dearborn said voters chose El-Sayed “regardless of the direction in which he prays.”
What the coverage missed
The coverage focused on the insults. The part that got less attention is the voting patterns.
El-Sayed won with majorities among Black voters and Jewish early voters. He also ran behind other Democrats in heavily Jewish communities. In Huntington Woods, he was 15 points behind Benson.
The distinction matters. Early voters and Election Day voters can differ. Jewish early voters supported El-Sayed. Jewish voters in some communities on Election Day did not. The difference is not about religion. It is about the campaign’s reach.
The attacks from Trump, Vance, Cruz and Kennedy were aimed at Jewish voters. The mailers linking El-Sayed to Sharia law were sent to Jewish neighborhoods. The attacks worked in some places and not in others.
El-Sayed won the election. The attacks did not stop him. But they moved votes in the communities where they were targeted. The 15-point gap in Huntington Woods is the measure of how much they moved.
What I think
Abdul El-Sayed is the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. He won despite being called a jihadist by the president, the vice president and two sitting senators. He won despite mailers linking him to Sharia law. He won despite a promise to cut off military aid to Israel if he entered the Senate.
The attacks were not subtle. Trump called him a jihadist. Kennedy said he sleeps in a Bin Laden jersey. Cruz called him a jihadist leprechaun. These are not dog whistles. They are whistles.
El-Sayed responded with humor. He said he supported “shawarma law.” The response was better than the attacks deserved. It also did not address them. The attacks were about making Muslim identity disqualifying. The response was about making it normal.
The voting patterns tell the story. El-Sayed won with majorities among Black voters and Jewish early voters. He ran behind other Democrats in some heavily Jewish communities. The attacks worked where they were targeted. They did not work everywhere.
The Dearborn mayor said voters chose El-Sayed “regardless of the direction in which he prays.” That is the statement of the election. The attacks made religion an issue. The voters decided it was not.