Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers, according to The Associated Press.
AP called the race at 2:27 a.m. Eastern Wednesday, Nov. 4. El-Sayed will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
As of AP's 7:03 a.m. update, El-Sayed had 2,480,577 votes, or 52.4%, compared with Rogers' 2,154,946 votes, or 45.6%. AP estimated that 96% of votes had been counted.
AP has declared El-Sayed the winner. Vote totals remain unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted.
Oakland County favored El-Sayed
Oakland County, home to Troy, favored El-Sayed in the reported returns. The county has been an important Democratic voting area in recent elections.
Troy voters saw the Senate race at the top of the partisan section on their ballots. El-Sayed, Rogers and four minor-party candidates appeared on the Troy sample ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.
Official Troy precinct-level results for the general election had not been published as of Wednesday morning.
El-Sayed defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's August Democratic primary. Rogers won the Republican nomination without a primary opponent.
Statewide results
The following figures appeared in AP's 7:03 a.m. Eastern update Nov. 4:
Candidate | Party | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
Abdul El-Sayed — AP winner | Democratic | 2,480,577 | 52.4% |
Mike Rogers | Republican | 2,154,946 | 45.6% |
Lydia Christensen | Libertarian | 48,998 | 1.0% |
Tim Long | U.S. Taxpayers | 26,123 | 0.6% |
Douglas P. Marsh | Green | 12,366 | 0.3% |
Walter P. Kristy | Natural Law | 7,151 | 0.2% |
El-Sayed led Rogers by 325,631 votes in that update. Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.
What the seat means
El-Sayed's victory keeps the seat in Democratic hands. Peters chose not to seek a third term, according to AP.
Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to retake the Senate. Republicans had hoped winning Michigan's open seat would block that path, according to Michigan Public.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director, campaigned on Medicare for All and lowering living costs, including fuel prices, according to WILX.
Rogers, a former Michigan congressman, focused on national security, immigration and inflation. He called El-Sayed's health care proposal socialized medicine, WILX reported.
Rogers previously ran for Michigan's other Senate seat in 2024, narrowly losing to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, AP reported. The race drew well over $100 million in advertising since the Aug. 4 primary, according to AP.
The Nov. 1 endorsement of Rogers by Stevens, El-Sayed's primary rival, rattled Democrats in the campaign's final days. Stevens endorsed Rogers after attending a Detroit church service with him, according to AP.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel criticized the endorsement, saying Stevens had abandoned the principles she had previously supported, AP reported.
How to track results
Readers can follow additional returns through AP's Michigan U.S. Senate results tracker and the Michigan Secretary of State's election results page.
Vote totals remain unofficial until canvassing and certification are complete.
