DETROIT, Mich. — In the battleground state of Michigan, progressive Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has beaten Republican Mike Rogers for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.
As of Wednesday afternoon, with 97% of the vote counted, El-Sayed has 52.5% over Rogers’ 45.5%.
Voters in the Detroit metro area proved to be one of the biggest deciding factors in the race. Both campaigns spent a lot of time, energy and resources in the Motor City during the final days of the campaign.
Speaking with Detroit voters Tuesday, issues ranged widely from health care and the economy to the war with Iran and giving the Trump administration a brake check.
“Honestly, probably health care, especially as someone who’s 25 about to be 26. It’s kind of scary,” said Emma Costello, a Royal Oak, Michigan, resident and El-Sayed supporter. “It feels like kind of a slap in the face to like, go and have a 40-hour workweek. But then you still have to pay two or $300 for health insurance.”
“Health care costs are one of my concerns. And just general means by gasoline to get to filling up a car,” said Maria Dickerson, a voter who also serves as president of Greenacres Woodward Civic Association Detroit – District 2. “Being able to provide, even though it’s just myself, buying food, just everyday things that people need that are costing us a fortune at this point,” she added.
El-Sayed will become the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. Senate. It’s one of many “firsts” achieved by Democrats in a massive blue wave in Tuesday’s midterms.
Some voters, like Costello, were very excited to support El-Sayed.
“I think that he’s going to be a really positive change for the country,” said Costello. “But at the end of the day, he’s got character.”
Other Democrats said he may not have been their top choice, but they still supported him Tuesday.
“Well, there’s no perfect candidate, I’ll say that,” said Jesse Cox, a Detroit voter. “But I feel that he at least will speak up for us in Congress, that he will hold the Trump administration accountable. And I don’t need you to, you know, do everything perfectly, but I need you to at least do your job.”
“I voted for Abdul El-Sayed,” said Dickerson. “He’s a Democrat. And most of the things that he goes for, I agree with because it represents myself and my situations and my lifestyle and my family. So he was, you know, of course, the best candidate for me,” said Dickerson.
Another common theme heard from voters was a strong desire to slow down the Trump administration’s policies.
“For me, some of the top issues would be how are we holding this administration accountable for getting us into a war that Congress did not approve. The tariffs, the economy, gas prices? I even bought electric car because I’m so sick of paying four or $5 gas prices,” said Cox. “There’s not a sense for me that this administration is really looking out for regular folks… It’s making the wealthy richer and it’s just stepping on the backs of middle class and poor people.”
Democrats flipped enough seats to take control of both the U.S. House and Senate in 2027.
