Abdul El-Sayed had a message for his supporters in Detroit early Wednesday: “The bad guys lost.” The Democrat celebrated his victory in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race after a campaign in which, he said, his opponents targeted both his name and his faith.
Decision Desk HQ projected that the 42-year-old former Michigan health official would become the first Muslim elected to the Senate, defeating Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in one of the midterms’ most closely watched contests.
During his speech, El-Sayed took aim at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), mocking its efforts to defeat him despite its substantial spending.
AIPAC spent record-high amount in the primaries against El-Sayed
“To the super PACs and special interests who tried to beat us, we are coming for your system of politics,” El-Sayed said. “To AIPAC, who spent $42 million against us, thank you for giving me the opportunity to beat I don’t want to say something here,” he added.
El-Sayed continued: “See, they try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids should get to grow up in the land of their forefathers without being murdered by our tax dollars. If you believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, that’s not hate, it’s love. Michiganers, we want our taxes spent here for schools here and healthcare here and infrastructure here. We don’t want our money sent to do apartheid or genocide or war.”
In June, Reuters reported that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its affiliated groups had spent nearly $30 million backing Stevens, their largest investment ever in a single race.
On Tuesday, independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders stated that the group’s outlays against the Egyptian-American Democrat reached $39 million. “AIPAC spent $30 million against Abdul El-Sayed in the primary, then poured another $9 million into supporting Mike Rogers,” Sanders said.
“Here’s the good news: In response to AIPAC, ordinary Americans donated $12 million to Abdul. They have the money; we have the people. Let’s win,” the U.S. Senator from Vermont added.
An Egyptian-American physician, El-Sayed has criticized Israeli policies, with particular focus on Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip. He has advocated ending U.S. military assistance to Israel and has drawn backing from Sanders along with other progressive figures.
He defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a vocal supporter of Israel who has described herself as a proud defender of the country. Stevens, who failed to stop El-Sayed in the primary, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, despite previously warning that he would enable Trump’s agenda. Her decision appears to reflect a deep disagreement with El-Sayed over Israel.
Published: Nov 4, 2026 11:00 am