Democrat Abdul El-Sayed declared victory early Wednesday in his bid for a US Senate seat in Michigan, defeating former Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers. The win makes El-Sayed the first Muslim elected to the upper chamber of the United States Congress.

“Michigan, we did it!” El-Sayed told supporters during a speech at his election headquarters in Detroit on Wednesday morning. “I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.”

El-Sayed secured the victory despite a late-stage hurdle in his campaign. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed defeated in the Democratic primary, publicly endorsed his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, in the final hours leading up to Election Day.

The 42-year-old physician successfully rallied voters with a progressive platform heavily focused on healthcare reform. He campaigned to retain a critical Senate seat for the Democrats, succeeding retiring Senator Gary Peters.

Throughout the campaign, El-Sayed faced intense opposition from Republicans, who deployed aggressive messaging attempting to link Democratic policies to communism and making inflammatory accusations regarding national security. However, El-Sayed’s focus on domestic economic issues and healthcare access appeared to resonate strongly with voters.

“You deserve to be able to see a doctor without getting a huge bill,” El-Sayed told Michigan voters on election eve, reiterating his pledge to overhaul the multi-billion-dollar for-profit medical system in the US.

The political newcomer drew significant crowds across Michigan during his campaign, including in historically conservative areas, by promising to tackle economic hardships and remove corporate money from politics.

In addition to being the first Muslim in the chamber, El-Sayed’s victory also makes him the first Democratic doctor to serve in the US Senate since 1969.