Abdul El-Sayed used his Michigan Senate victory speech to deliver a pointed message to Vice-President JD Vance, calling him “habibi” before highlighting the irony of Vance’s role in the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January.
“JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” El-Sayed told supporters at a Detroit victory event early Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
The remark drew loud cheers from the crowd and became one of the defining moments of El-Sayed’s address after he defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race.
The result makes El-Sayed the first Muslim American elected to the United States Senate, according to election results and data and reporting published after polls closed on Tuesday, November 3.
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What Abdul El-Sayed said to JD Vance
El-Sayed’s use of “habibi,” an Arabic term commonly used to mean “my dear” or “my beloved,” gave the line a deliberately personal and ironic tone.
His comment referred to the ceremonial and constitutional responsibilities surrounding the opening of a new Senate term.
Vance, as vice-president, serves as president of the Senate and presiding officer, while newly elected senators must take the oath of office before beginning their legislative duties.
The formal Senate process does not necessarily require the vice-president to personally administer every senator’s oath.
Senators-elect are escorted to the presiding officer’s desk, and the ceremony is conducted in an open session of the Senate.
El-Sayed’s line was therefore a political reference to Vance’s institutional role and the expected January ceremony rather than a detailed description of every procedural step.
El-Sayed later contrasted Michigan’s victory with the political identities of the two men, using the state’s “Wolverine” nickname against Vance’s connection to Ohio and the “Buckeye” label.
A bitter Michigan campaign
The exchange capped a campaign in which El-Sayed’s name, Egyptian heritage and Muslim faith became central subjects of attacks from Republican opponents and national Republican figures.
Rogers sought to portray El-Sayed as too far to the left for Michigan, while El-Sayed campaigned on universal health care, reducing the influence of corporate money in politics and economic issues affecting working families.
The contest also drew national attention because Michigan was viewed as one of the most competitive Senate races of the 2026 midterm elections.
El-Sayed’s victory followed a turbulent final stretch.
Former Democratic primary rival Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers shortly before the election, a move that intensified divisions among Michigan Democrats and pushed the race further into the national spotlight.
During his victory remarks, El-Sayed also addressed supporters who had faced questions about how his name was pronounced and how his faith was discussed during the campaign.
He introduced himself by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, and framed the result as a rejection of attacks aimed at his identity.
Historic result for Muslim Americans
El-Sayed’s election marks a significant change in the composition of the U.S. Senate.
Although Muslim Americans have served in the U.S. House of Representatives and in state and local offices, no Muslim American had previously been elected to the Senate.
The result also gives Michigan a senator-elect whose campaign was built around a progressive platform in a state that has remained politically competitive in recent federal elections.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, entered the Senate race after building a national profile through health policy advocacy and his earlier campaign for governor of Michigan.
His win now moves him from activist and candidate into a national legislative role beginning in January 2027.
What happens next
Michigan election authorities will continue the process of finalizing and certifying the results before the new senator takes office.
El-Sayed is expected to join the Senate when the new congressional term begins in January.
Senators-elect must take the oath of office before exercising their legislative responsibilities, and the Senate’s established practice includes a formal oath-taking session followed by ceremonial photographs and reenactments in some cases.
That procedure is now the source of the political irony El-Sayed emphasized in Detroit: the vice-president who became a target of his victory speech will preside over the chamber during the transition into the new Congress, even as El-Sayed begins a Senate career shaped by the campaign’s disputes over identity, immigration, foreign policy and the role of government.
Neither Vance nor the White House had issued a public response to El-Sayed’s “JD, habibi” remark by the time of publication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Abdul El-Sayed say to JD Vance?
El-Sayed said, “JD, habibi,” and joked that Vance would be constitutionally obligated to swear him in during January’s Senate proceedings.
What does “habibi” mean?
“Habibi” is an Arabic term of endearment commonly translated as “my dear” or “my beloved.”
Who did Abdul El-Sayed defeat in Michigan?
El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the 2026 Michigan U.S. Senate election.
Why is Abdul El-Sayed’s election historic?
He is set to become the first Muslim American elected to the United States Senate.
Will JD Vance personally administer El-Sayed’s oath?
The vice-president presides over the Senate, but Senate procedure allows oath-taking to be conducted through the chamber’s formal process and does not necessarily require the vice-president to personally administer every senator’s oath.
Fact-Checked: Key election, Senate procedure and public-statement details were checked against Michigan election information and official U.S. Senate resources.
Disclaimer: Election results remain subject to final certification, and Senate ceremony arrangements may be confirmed closer to the January 2027 opening of Congress.