Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has met with Michigan’s Albanian Muslim community as he campaigns for the Senate seat in one of America’s most closely watched battleground states.

El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination on August 4, defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and setting up a November 3 general-election matchup against Republican Mike Rogers. If elected, he would become the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Following his primary victory, El-Sayed has been working to broaden his coalition ahead of the general election. His recent meeting with Michigan’s Albanian Muslim community is part of that outreach.

Members of the Albanian community said they believe an El-Sayed victory could give them a stronger voice in Washington.

The meeting also highlights the longstanding presence of Albanian Muslims in Michigan. The Albanian American Moslem Society was established in Detroit in 1945, while Albanian Muslim institutions have continued to serve the community across the Detroit area for generations.

Michigan has one of the largest and most politically influential Muslim communities in the United States, making outreach to Muslim voters particularly important in the Senate race.

El-Sayed, 41, is not Albanian. He was born in Detroit to Egyptian immigrant parents and is a physician and former public health official. He previously served as director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services and ran for governor of Michigan in 2018.

His Senate campaign focuses on issues including Medicare for All, reducing the influence of corporate money in politics, workers’ rights, healthcare and economic security.

His primary victory has also made him a national political figure. El-Sayed has faced attacks over his Muslim identity since winning the Democratic nomination, while his campaign seeks to unite different parts of Michigan’s Democratic electorate ahead of November.