Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim elected to US Senate
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, becomes the first Muslim elected to the US Senate after winning in Michigan. The Democrat supports universal healthcare and attributes his victory to voters’ economic concerns, while Republicans attacked his positions on Israel, according to Daily Maverick.
Abdul El-Sayed, a 42-year-old former public health official, won Tuesday’s Michigan Senate election against Republican Mike Rogers. His victory makes him the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, according to Daily Maverick.
El-Sayed campaigned in particular for Medicare for All, a state-funded universal healthcare programme, as well as lower costs for families and limits on corporate influence in politics. Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent, had the backing of Donald Trump and national Republicans.
The Republican campaign accused El-Sayed of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist extremism, allegations he denies and which are not supported by any evidence. Democrats condemned attacks based on Islamophobic stereotypes, while Rogers criticised his opponent’s opposition to US military aid to Israel and his characterisation of Israeli operations in Gaza as genocide.
The victory comes after the campaign during which Abdul El-Sayed campaigned for free healthcare on 3 November, and his duel with Mike Rogers in Michigan, reported on 4 November. It also follows the Democrats’ securing of a Senate majority, announced on 4 November in the US Senate.
