Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory in Michigan’s US Senate race early Wednesday, putting him on course to become the first Muslim to serve in the upper chamber of Congress.
However, the Associated Press had not yet called the race, with 79 percent of votes counted and El-Sayed leading Republican opponent Mike Rogers by five percentage points.
VoteHub projected an El-Sayed victory shortly before 1:00 AM local time, prompting celebrations at the Michigan Democratic Party’s election night gathering in Detroit.
Taking the stage before cheering supporters, El-Sayed announced: “We did it! We can turn that Insha’Allah into an Alhamdulilah.”
El-Sayed thanked supporters for backing his campaign, saying: “You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates. So thank you. This is all yours. You welcomed me in your homes, your churches, your synagogues.”
El-Sayed also criticised his political opponents for focusing on his name and Muslim faith rather than addressing economic concerns, including rising petrol and grocery prices.
“They want an America that is too small for some of us. We know that America is big enough for all of us,” El-Sayed said.
This came shortly after Republican candidate Mike Rogers refused to concede, telling supporters at his election night gathering to return home while ballot counting continued.
“There is a path for us to win this race. This is going to happen,” Rogers said, expressing confidence that outstanding votes would favour his campaign.
He urged supporters to rest, telling them: “Go home to get some sleep, so when you wake up, we’re going to be a winner.”
