Washington. In the US elections, Democratic Party candidate Abdul El-Sayed has created history by winning the Michigan seat. Al-Sayed, a doctor and progressive leader by profession, has become the first Muslim lawmaker to reach the US Senate. He defeated Republican candidate and former Congressman Mike Rogers. The special thing is that during the election campaign, President Donald Trump had accused Al-Syed of being a jihadi. His victory is also being seen as a blow to Trump's politics.
Declaring victory, Al-Sayed thanked voters. “You welcomed me into your homes, churches and synagogues,” he said. He credited his success to the mass movement he built over the past year and a half by campaigning from big cities to small towns in Michigan. He said that the voters gave him strength in difficult times.
The family is also connected to India
Abdul Al-Syed also has family ties to India. His wife Dr. Sara Jukaku is a psychiatrist by profession and her family hails from Karnataka. His native area is said to be about 140 kilometers away from Mangaluru. Sara is the granddaughter of Shamshuddin, who served as the Deputy Finance Minister in Mysore State during the tenure of then Chief Minister BD Jatti.
We met at the University of Michigan
Al-Sayed, a Rhodes Scholar, met Sara while studying at the University of Michigan. Referring to his connection with the South Indian family and culture, he said in an interview, “I am married to a South Indian family and have been here for 20 years. Now I am completely integrated into it. To be honest, I am probably more Indian than Arab.”
Trump had accused him of being a jihadi
US President Donald Trump has been a prominent critic of al-Sayed. During the election campaign, comments were also made about his name and religion. Trump had accused him of being a jihadi and said that he would have to go through a metal detector to enter the Senate.
Al-Sayed accused his critics of trying to divide society instead of discussing issues such as rising prices of gas and groceries.
Mike Rogers has lost elections before
Republican candidate Mike Rogers is a former congressman and was supported by Donald Trump. In the 2024 Senate elections, he lost to Elissa Slotkin by a margin of about 0.3 percentage points. This time his competition was against Al-Syed. Al-Sayed is the former Wayne County health director. Earlier this year, she surprised everyone by defeating the party's preferred candidate Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary election.