Abdul El-Sayed Says He Will Likely Get Sworn Into Office on Quran

Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.) will be sworn in with the Quran when he takes office in January.

El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, is currently deciding which one he will use.

Right now, he is considering the one former President Thomas Jefferson owned or the oldest Quran in his state, which is at the University of Michigan.

"Whatever my name is, however I pray, it's not the book that you swear on. It's the book you swear allegiance to," he said, referring to the Constitution. "This document is the reason that, no matter how I pray, that I could run for office and that the folks in my state could elect me. What an amazing thing."

The 42-year-old is viewed as a progressive and has pointed out that the voters were clear: Democrats need new leadership and an ambitious legislative agenda.

"I deeply appreciate Senator (Chuck) Schumer” (D-N.Y.), El-Sayed told NPR's Leila Fadel on the video podcast “Newsmakers.” "But this is about leadership from the American public, and if all we do is kind of go back to what we've been doing in a moment where we've been given a mandate, I worry that we may not earn our mandate."

El-Sayed said he would like to see Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) challenge Senate Minority Leader Schumer during the December leadership elections. Van Hollen, a 67-year-old progressive, made headlines in 2025 when he traveled to El Salvador to visit Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported by the Department of Homeland Security without standard due process.

"He's willing to take risks when it matters — flying down to see Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a real risk," El-Sayed said of Van Hollen. "I want folks to sort of think about what it means to earn that mandate that we just got. To me, it means taking righteous risks and righteous fights."

El-Sayed added Congress needs to end the war in Iran, pass "Medicare for All" and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).