- Published
In a race fuelled by withering attacks and inter-party disputes, progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won a key Senate seat in the battleground state of Michigan.
asserted
Sayed → publish → Michigan
El-Sayed bested Republican Mike Rogers, withstanding an onslaught of attacks that included baselessly tying him to terrorism and a high-profile spat with a fellow Democrat.
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that → best → Democrat
Rogers, backed by President Donald Trump, portrayed El-Sayed as a communist, criticising his stance on Israel and his Muslim faith.
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Rogers → back → Israel
After waiting long hours, watching democratic gains across the country, El-Sayed's supporters went wild when he took the stage to celebrate his victory.
The former public health administrator campaigned on a left-wing platform that included universal health care and a wealth tax on billionaires.
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that → wait → billionaires
The win comes days after El-Sayed's Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens, endorsed Rogers, the Republican candidate, just days before the election.
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rival → come → election
El-Sayed's supporters gave deafening cheers when he took to the stage, as they chanted his name in jubilation.
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they → give → jubilation
A sea of iPhones were held up to take in this moment of history - a Muslim man elected to the Senate.
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sea → hold → Senate
Several people in the crowd embraced, filled with emotion.
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people → embrace → emotion
They repeated his slogan back to him like they were at a concert: "Money out of politics, money in your pocket and Medicare for all."
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they → repeat → all
On the campaign trail, El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and called for an end to US aid to the country.
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Sayed → describe → country
The issue carries particular resonance in Michigan, which is home to the second largest Arab-American population in the US.
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which → carry → US
It also fuelled tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, whose primary campaign received millions of dollars in backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).
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campaign → fuel → Committee
The contest was widely seen as a test of the political influence of the Democratic left in a key battleground state, following a series of primary wins by democratic socialist candidates in more politically favoured districts.
El-Sayed thanked the crowd in the early hours of Wednesday morning for taking a chance on "the unlikeliest of candidates", saying his win was theirs.
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win → see → candidates
He told the crowd the campaign against him had been one of the ugliest seen in their lifetime.
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campaign → tell → lifetime
This is a milestone for Muslim Americans who had to watch, along with their children, as El-Sayed was attacked with increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric, including directly from the President of the United States.
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Sayed → have → States
It comes at a time of rising in Islamophobia nationwide.
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It → come → Islamophobia
Roula Allouch, an Arab American Muslim, told the BBC she had goosebumps from the success of the campaign.
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she → tell → campaign
"I'm proud of Abdul, the campaign that he ran, his family for their perseverance through all the hate, the Islamophobic rhetoric that was thrown at him throughout this campaign," she said.
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she → run → campaign
Another Muslim woman in the crowd was equally moved and told the BBC his win meant everything to her.
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win → move → her
"He makes us so proud and it just makes us feel like we can stand a little taller, broaden our shoulders and know somebody has our back and that he's going to be in Washington really fighting for us," she said.
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she → make → us
El-Sayed has certainly shown on the campaign trail that he's willing to hit back at MAGA attacks.
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he → show → attacks
In his victory speech, he used the Arabic phrase "Alhamdullah", and then trolled Republicans by saying that "for the rightwing ops, that just means praise be to God".
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praise → use → God
El-Sayed, 42, represents a generation of Arab Americans and Muslims who were born in the United States to immigrant parents and grew up in post 9/11 America.
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who → represent → America
Celebrating with family from Chicago, another South Asian Muslim supporter of El-Sayed said the moment was historic for everyone who has been made to feel that they don't belong in America or have a place in politics.
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they → celebrate → politics
"If someone with the name of Abdul can make it, that means this next generation can look up and day that they can too," she told the BBC.
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she → make → BBC
The Michigan Senate seat, previously held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters, was considered by analysts to be one of the tightest races in Tuesday's midterm elections.
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seat → hold → elections
El-Sayed's win further cements Democrats' control of the US Senate after a wave of wins - including in deep-Republican areas.
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win → cement → areas
The progressive Democrat and a critic of Israel had to contend with massive outside spending heavily favouring Rogers and his opponent in the Democratic primary, Haley Stevens.
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Democrat → have → primary
In presidential elections, Michigan is one of the crucial swing states - the state voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but Donald Trump in 2024.
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state → vote → 2024
Many had questioned whether Stevens' last-minute endorsement of Rogers would make a difference in the race.
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endorsement → question → race
Democratic leadership called it "a despicable betrayal" and her staff reportedly resigned in mass.
uncertain
staff → call → mass
Voters who spoke with the BBC in the state said they were confused over the move, with some questioning whether the congresswoman was acting out of anger.
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congresswoman → speak → anger
El-Sayed attempted to ignore the dramatic turn, telling reporters that he doesn't "think about Haley Stevens" and "none of this matters".
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none → attempt → this
Throughout his campaign, El-Sayed has channelled grassroots frustration with Washington politics as well as US ties to Israel.
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Sayed → channel → Israel
He took on money in politics and argued against Trump's policies, which he blamed for raising costs for voters in the state.
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he → take → state
He campaigned with progressive leaders Sen Bernie Sanders and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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He → campaign → Sanders
The Aporia
