Muslim candidate Abdul El-Sayed seeks historic first Senate seat as US midterm voting enters final day

WASHINGTON: Millions of Americans have already cast their ballots through early and mail-in voting, but Tuesday marks the official Election Day in the United States, as voters decide control of Congress in midterm elections that could shape President Donald Trump’s remaining two years in office.

Among the contests attracting attention beyond the US is Michigan’s Senate race, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is seeking to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

The Egyptian-American physician and former public health official, who was born in Michigan, is facing Republican Mike Rogers in a closely contested race. His potential election has drawn attention beyond the state, particularly among Muslim communities, as he seeks a place in the 100-member Senate.

The campaign has also become a flashpoint over religion and identity. President Donald Trump and other Republicans have questioned El-Sayed’s loyalty to the United States and accused him, without providing evidence, of sympathising with terrorists. El-Sayed has described questions about his allegiance as “shameful”.

Rogers, speaking on Fox News’ Hannity programme on Monday, characterised his opponent as “just too extreme”. At a campaign rally in Michigan, he said the contest was not about religion but about candidates’ thinking, philosophy and ideology.

El-Sayed, meanwhile, called for unity across differences of geography, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and faith. Addressing supporters at a rally on Monday, he said people could build together what they could achieve only collectively.

The race became more contentious over the weekend after Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost the party’s Senate primary to El-Sayed, crossed party lines to endorse Rogers. The move highlighted divisions among Democrats ahead of the vote.

El-Sayed’s campaign said it raised $2.4 million on Sunday, its largest single-day fundraising total, driven by small donations following Stevens’ endorsement of his Republican rival.

The Michigan contest is among several closely watched races that could shape the balance of power in Washington. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are being contested.

Democrats are widely expected to make gains in the House, while the Senate contests present a tougher challenge. Losing control of either chamber would limit Trump’s ability to advance his agenda. A Democratic majority could also give the party greater scope to investigate his administration and block nominations to federal courts, including the Supreme Court.

Trump made a final push for Republican candidates on Monday, urging supporters to turn out in large numbers. Speaking by telephone to Fox News’ Hannity, he asked voters to act as though he himself were on the ballot, saying Republicans would win by a landslide if their supporters voted.

His final major public appearance before election day was at an event marking the reopening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Trump used much of the speech to discuss renovations to the site and other public works projects in the capital.

The president, 80, has campaigned extensively for Republicans, holding events in 20 states over the past 32 days, according to the White House.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday found that 46 per cent of registered voters intended to vote for Democrats in congressional elections, compared with 38 per cent who favoured Republicans. The survey reflects stated preferences ahead of voting and does not determine the outcome of individual races.

Early voting has also reached a record level. Around 57 million ballots had been cast in person or by mail by Monday afternoon, compared with 45 million votes during the entirety of the 2022 midterm elections, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.

Disputes over voting in California and Alaska

Election-related legal disputes have also drawn attention in California and Alaska.

In California, the US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt by the Trump administration to temporarily prevent the state from counting mail-in ballots cast by more than 20,000 registered voters whom federal officials alleged were likely non-citizens.

California argued that the federal lawsuit risked disenfranchising voters on the basis of vague allegations and an error-prone process for identifying non-citizens. A US judge also ordered the administration to stop requiring the state to segregate ballots cast by people appearing on lists of suspected non-citizens.

In Alaska, a federal judge on Sunday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of election results if Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan narrowly loses.

The administration had argued that voters could be confused by the presence of another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot. The two-candidate names have become a source of controversy in the Senate race.

The New York Times reported last week that the campaign of Democratic challenger Mary Peltola had been involved in recruiting Sullivan Jr. to enter the contest as a potential spoiler. Peltola has denied involvement, while Sullivan Jr. has rejected claims that he coordinated with her campaign.

The incumbent senator said on Sunday that he would accept the results of Tuesday’s election, even as the Trump administration pursues a criminal investigation into the matter.

At a rally in Alaska on Monday, Sullivan was introduced as “the real Dan Sullivan”. He told supporters that Democrats viewed the state as crucial to their effort to take control of the Senate, describing Alaska as a “firewall for freedom for America”.

The dispute has also drawn attention from federal investigators. Barry Bracken, a retired fisheries biologist from Sullivan’s hometown of Petersburg, said FBI agents questioned him on Friday about a $500 donation he made to Sullivan Jr.’s campaign. Bracken said he told the agents the donation was intentional and that they left shortly afterwards. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

With voting under way, the outcomes in Michigan, Alaska and other closely contested states will help determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress or Democrats gain the power to challenge Trump’s agenda during the final two years of his presidency.