Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, pro-Palestinian former Detroit health official, is projected to win a hotly contested Michigan Senate primary election against centrist Democrat Haley Stevens. Mr El-Sayed will now go up against Republican Mike Rogers in the midterms in November and, if victorious, will become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate. "Money out of politics. Money in your pocket. Medicare for All. Michigan...We won," Mr El-Sayed said in a post on X. "I am so proud to be your Democratic nominee for US Senate. Let's win in November."The Democratic primary race between Mr El-Sayed and Ms Stevens attracted national attention, with many seeing it as an indicator of the ideological direction of the Democratic Party. ▶The location of the primary race, Michigan, also gives more weight to Mr El-Sayed's victory. The state, home to the largest Arab-American community in the US, is seen as crucial for the Democrats to take back control of the White House in 2028.Ahead of the announcement of results, President Donald Trump weighed in on the race, calling Mr El-Sayed a "Radical Left Socialist" and accusing him of vote tampering. "Get ready for another Rigged Election," he wrote on Truth Social. "In November we must vote for [Republican] Mike Rogers, and make Michigan too big to rig."Having previously run for governor, Mr El-Sayed is no stranger to Michigan politics, but he is relatively new to the national US political scene.The Egyptian-American physician has leaned into policy planks that resonate with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He has promised voters that he will push for universal health care and abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE. In contrast with many politicians, he has openly called Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide.His primary opponent, Ms Stevens, had appeared to gain some momentum in the final weeks of the campaign, securing endorsements from Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Ms Stevens had also received an endorsement from departing Democratic senator, Gary Peters. However, Mr El-Sayed, like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, used social media to tout his progressive ideas, gaining a loyal following in the high-profile primary campaign. Some centrist Democrats have warned that Mr El-Sayed will struggle to secure moderate support in the general election, an accusation that the progressive consistently faced throughout the primary.The election will take place on November 3. Hopes are high among Democrats that the party can deliver a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump by taking control of the House and Senate. "Great news for the Republican Party," said US President Donald Trump in a social media post. Mr Trump proceeded to describe Mr Sayed as a "communist loser who hates Jews and Israel." Though Mr Sayed's stance on Israel has caused consternation with some Jewish voters in Michigan, his populist economic and social issue stances have also led to enthusiasm among Jewish voters as well. "Jews for Abdul," reads a t-shirt for sale on Mr Sayed's campaign website. Polls monitoring As polls opened in Michigan on Tuesday, the US Justice Department announced it was monitoring several polling locations “to ensure transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law”. The Justice Department said the cities of Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing and East Lansing would be closely watched. That decision drew scrutiny, in part because those locations have tended to be more liberal and have a higher concentration of minority populations. Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters following a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan. BloombergShow caption: Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters following a campaign even…The Trump White House has claimed that voter fraud is prevalent throughout the US, though experts have debunked such claims. Mr Trump has insisted that his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 was the result of voter fraud, but has yet to offer any solid evidence to back up that claim. Still, the Justice Department has made election monitoring a priority. “Our primary monitoring efforts continue today as we seek to ensure free and fair elections nationwide,” said US assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon. “The Department of Justice is devoting extensive resources to ensure uniform and non-discriminatory monitoring.”US attorney Timothy VerHey, representing the western district of Michigan, echoed those sentiments. “Transparency promotes both trust and better behaviour in election administration,” he said. Shortly after most networks called the primary for Mr Sayed, President Trump again, without evidence implied that cheating played a role."Wayne County (Detroit) in Michigan is one of the most corrupt voting areas in the United States," he wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social, his social media platform.