Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed hit back at President Donald Trump after winning the Senate race. He said voters had rejected a âhateful, spiteful campaignâMichigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed takes aim at Donald Trump after winning the Senate race. (Bloomberg)He also joked that Vice President JD Vance, whom he called âhabibi,â would have to swear him in as a senator in January.Abdul El-Sayed says Michigan rejected a âhateful, spiteful campaignâMichigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Michigan voters had rejected âa hateful, spiteful campaign.â This came after months of Republican attacks on his Muslim identity in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.El-Sayed said, âMichigan proved just how big we are.
Rejected a hateful, spiteful campaign that had nothing to say about the issues and only wanted to point to my name and my face. Michiganders rejected that.
Every single county, every single one, pushed against that.âHe will become the first Muslim senator in the country. He told AP the morning was âa moment of reflection,â including about what his win would mean to his two young daughters.
He said, âNow, this is something they read about in the history books.âAlso read: Democrats' leader Chuck Schumer demands an end to the Iran war as party takes control of both Congressional housesHow he wonAccording to AP, the race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers was called early Wednesday. With about 97% of the votes counted, El-Sayed was leading by 7 percentage points.El-Sayed was born in the US after his parents moved from Egypt.
Eight years ago, he lost badly in Michiganâs Democratic primary for governor. This time, he won the Senate primary against a candidate backed by party leaders, even though his campaign spent tens of millions of dollars less.Also read: Trump shares thoughts on potential impeachment after midterm losses: 'It would destroy Democrats'The âhabibiâ jabAbdul El-Sayed made the jab in his victory speech early on Wednesday.
He was speaking to supporters in Detroit, after he defeated Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers in Michiganâs Senate race.According to The Hill, El-Sayed joked about Vice President JD Vance swearing him in to office in January. He called it a moment of âdelicious irony.âEl-Sayed said, âJD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that youâre constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.ââHabibiâ is an Arabic term of affection.Sayed also spoke about President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly mocked his name and attacked his Muslim faith during the campaign.
El-Sayed said, âDonald, I know you struggle with my name, so after JD swears me in in January, you can go on and call me senator.âAs per The Hill, Vance previously described El-Sayed as âvery, very evil,â while Trump has repeatedly referred to the Democrat as a âjihadistâ and a âcommunist.â

