On Tuesday November 3rd, we did not witness a blue wave. In reality, it was a MAGA murder.
Even blue tsunami does not come close to describing what happened.
However, with all the excitement over the Democrats annihilation of everything Trump stands for, the most important victory is not getting the attention it should. In the federal Senate race in Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s victory over Republican Mike Rogers, will have profound and far-reaching political effects.
Abdul El-Sayed is an American epidemiologist and academic. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he earned a Ph.D. in public health as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, followed by a medical degree at Columbia University. His active involvement is politics began with a run for Governor of Michigan in the 2018 Democratic primary, a race he lost to Gretchen Whitmer who went on to become governor.
In April 2025, El-Sayed launched his progressive and ultimately successful campaign to become Michigan’s next U.S. Senator:
- He took a clear and principled stand opposing military aid to Israel. He has adamantly opposed Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which he has termed “a public health catastrophe.”
- He campaigned vigorously in favour of Medicare for All. No tinkering or tweaking around the edges.
- Perhaps most importantly, he repeatedly called for an end to corporate money and control in U.S. politics.
El-Sayed’s positions were anathema to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and many other big money players. During the Michigan Democratic Primary, all moneyed forces were aligned against him and in favour of his opponent, Haley Stevens. She was definitely the candidate of choice for the corporate wing of the Democrats.
More money was spent opposing El-Sayed in that primary than has every been spent against any candidate in any primary in American history — almost $70 million promoting Haley Stevens, who outspent El-Sayed 11:1. An average of $95 was spent for every vote against El-Sayed, compared to the average of $9 per vote spent for him.
Yet in a significant rejection of moneyed interests and the Democrat establishment, El-Sayed won the primary.
Corporate interests now shifted to supporting Republican candidate Mike Rogers, with El-Sayed outspent by nearly $100 million, a 2-to-1 disparity. Most significantly, while most of Rogers funding came from moneyed individuals and groups, most contributions to El-Sayed came from over 633,000 individual donors who made 1.3 million contributions averaging just $44.17 each.
The ensuing campaign was bitter. Republican attacks against El-Sayed were nothing short of vicious and racist, while Democratic Party support was slow in coming. The attacks were nonstop, both in ads and from individuals, including Donald Trump and J.D Vance. El-Sayed was accused of being a terrorist, a radical Islamist, and a jihadi. It was repeatedly alleged that he supported sharia law. He was called ‘a threat to national security’.
El-Sayed simply dismissed the attacks as a distraction and continued to promote his progressive policies. On election night, he was victorious, winning 52.5% of the vote to Rogers 45.5%.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s triumph was so much more than just electing one more Democrat to the Senate. His positions on Israel, healthcare, and political financing will be instrumental in shifting the entire Democratic Party in a more progressive direction. Combine this with his exceptional communication skills, and I would not be surprised at all if he runs for President in 2028!
YouTube is an excellent resource to find out more about Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. You can check out his victory speech; his thoughts on attacks on his faith; and his response to the tariff war with Canada; and many, many interviews. Comments on El-Sayed include John Oliver on Last Week Tonight; Zohran Mamdani after El-Sayed’s win; and my favourite, The Rational National, on The Political Revolution.
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