Abdul El Sayed has secured the Democratic nomination in Michigan and will seek to become the first Muslim senator in United States history. The 41-year-old former public health official confirmed the nomination in early August and is due to face Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate contest during the November midterm election. In his victory speech, El Sayed described how his Egyptian immigrant father came to Detroit, allowing him to identify as American.

His campaign has focused on removing money from politics, putting money back in people's pockets and expanding access to healthcare. El Sayed has criticized President Trump's policies and opposed US funding for the militaries of any country, including Israel. He called assistance to Israel's military the worst use of US tax dollars. Analysts cited his political commitments, anti-Israel stance and demand to end American military funding abroad as important to his rise.

Although he did not receive support from Democratic Party central leaders, El Sayed has been backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He previously won more than 30 percent of the vote in Michigan's 2018 gubernatorial election. As Detroit's public health director from 2015, he pursued measures including reducing child mortality, providing free eyeglasses to students and testing lead levels at more than 100 schools.