Abdul El-Sayed delivers major blow to GOP in Michigan after bruising Senate race

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's open Senate seat over Republican Mike Rogers, a result that keeps the seat in Democratic hands and makes El-Sayed the first Muslim elected to the chamber. Fox News · NBC News, NBC News and NPR report on the outcome, with NBC News and NPR citing Associated Press and its own projection respectively. El-Sayed, 42, will replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

NBC News adds that no Republican has taken a Michigan Senate seat since 1994, and says El-Sayed prevailed despite Islamophobic attacks from President Donald Trump and others. It reports that Rep. Haley Stevens, whom he beat in the primary, switched to Rogers late in the race, citing his stance on Israel. NPR puts the primary margin at about 1 percentage point. NBC News says Rogers denied nothing of the sort but pointed to Muslim Brotherhood links, which El-Sayed rejects. Fox News says AIPAC spent roughly $42 million against him, and quotes him telling Rogers, "Enjoy your retirement."

The outlets differ on cause.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News · NBC News, NBC News and NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News · NBC News → Also at NBC News → Also at NPR →