Six times Abdul El-Sayed won hearts with his victory speech

Abdul El-Sayed’s victory speech was more than a celebration of a historic Senate win. As the first Muslim to enter US Senate, his speech was a sharp response to those who had made his faith and identity a campaign issue, a tribute to the people who powered his journey and a promise to take their struggles to Washington. From a cheeky message to JD Vance and Donald Trump to an emotional thank-you to his wife and children, El-Sayed moved effortlessly between defiance, humour and heartfelt gratitude. Here are six moments that stood out from a speech that put ordinary people, solidarity and hope at its centre.

1. Turned attacks on his faith into a message about everyday struggles

“They might have been pointing to my name and my faith, but we all know that my name and my faith aren’t the reason you can’t afford your gas. Not the reason you can’t afford your groceries. Not the reason you can’t see a doctor.”

Rather than dwell on personal attacks, El-Sayed redirected the focus to the cost-of-living pressures facing ordinary Americans. He argued that the campaign had targeted not just him, but the idea of an America that makes room for people of different backgrounds and beliefs.

“They want an America that is too small for some of us. We know that America is big enough for all of us.”

2. Celebrated the power of ordinary people over big money

El-Sayed took aim at the huge sums spent trying to defeat him, saying more than $350 million had been spent against his campaign across the primary and general elections, including $70 million in the primary.

But he said the campaign had built something that money could not buy.

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“We built something bigger than a bank account. We built a movement. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

He drove the point home with a line that captured the spirit of his campaign: “We showed that in a battle between the money and the many, that the many really can win.”

3. Defended Palestinian rights with a message of love

Addressing criticism of his position on Palestine, El-Sayed rejected the suggestion that supporting Palestinian rights was an expression of hate.

“They try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids deserve to grow up in the land of their forefathers on our tax dollars,” he said.

Abdul El-Sayed, “They try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids should get to grow up in the land of their forefathers without being murdered by our tax dollars."

"If you believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, that's not hate, it's… pic.twitter.com/5n7M441C98

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) November 4, 2026

He followed it with a simple declaration: “If you believe in equal rights, human dignity, and self-determination, that’s not hate, it’s love.”

4. Gave JD Vance a new way to remember his name

One of the speech’s most playful moments came when El-Sayed turned to Vice President JD Vance, who is constitutionally required to swear in new senators in January.

“JD… Habibi… There is this delicious irony in the fact that… you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” he said, adding: “Wolverine 1, Buckeye 0.”

Then came the punchline, aimed at Vance and President Donald Trump: “JD, Donald, look I know you struggled with my name. So after JD swears me in in January you can just go on and call me Senator.”

5. Made sure his wife and children shared the moment

The political jabs gave way to a deeply personal tribute when El-Sayed thanked his wife, Sarah, for standing by him throughout the campaign.

“Sarah, thank you. Thank you for everything. There is no doing this without you and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. I love you and I’m so grateful for you.”

He then turned to their children, Emmet and Shireen, calling them his inspiration and saying he hoped they would one day read about the moment in history books and understand how much they had contributed to it.

6. Reminded supporters that the fight was about each other

El-Sayed recalled people he had met on the campaign trail: a mother fighting to keep essential medication for her children, a grandmother determined to protect her grandson from the violence that had taken her son, and a union worker standing up to powerful corporate bosses.

Their struggles, he said, were connected, and were the reason for the campaign.

“We don’t do this work for ourselves. We do this work for each other.”

He closed by reminding supporters that winning a Senate seat was not the end goal. “This work is bigger than one senator,” he said. “It’s about changing the face of our politics.”