Abdul El-Sayed was projected to win Michigan’s Senate race, defeating Republican Mike Rogers, according to NBC News. With 94.4% of votes counted, El-Sayed had 52.3% and Rogers 45.7%. Third candidate Lydia Christensen had 1% of the vote.
The reported totals showed El-Sayed with 2,431,112 votes and Rogers with 2,123,522. If confirmed, El-Sayed’s victory would make him the first Muslim senator in the United States.
The race drew attention after Representative Haley Stevens withdrew her endorsement of El-Sayed over the weekend and endorsed Rogers on Sunday. Stevens had earlier said she would continue backing El-Sayed. In a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, she sought to explain the switch, which drew criticism from Democratic strategists James Carville and Lis Smith. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro did not criticize Stevens, but also did not defend her.
On Election Day, Stevens published a letter explaining her decision and criticizing Democrats’ attacks on her.
Sources: TMZ.