Who is Abdul El-Sayed? US Democratic candidate wins Michigan Senate primary — Know about his career, education, more
Abdul El-Sayed beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate.
Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest left-wing candidate to capture the party’s nomination ahead of November’s midterm elections.
El-Sayed, early Wednesday (local time), beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment, according to The Guardian. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate.
El-Sayed was backed by progressive leaders including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, as well as the United Auto Workers union.
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
Abdul El-Sayed, 41, was born in Detroit to an Egyptian father and an American mother. He is a former public health official.
"He is running for the US Senate because he believes life in America shouldn’t be this hard, and as your Senator, Abdul will fight to build a government that works for you," his profile on his website read.
The website says El-Sayed rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department after bankruptcy. Then he restructured Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services.
"As a public servant, Abdul secured free glasses for kids who needed them, removed lead from Detroit’s elementary schools, took on Michigan’s biggest polluters, and made life-saving Narcan universally accessible," it claimed.
He also spearheaded a programme that will cancel up to $700 million in medical debt for 300,000 Michiganders over two years. His work earned him recognition as “Public Official of the Year” by the Michigan LCV and a spot on Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list, the website added.
Abdul authored Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide, which explains how to build a healthcare system that guarantees high-quality, affordable healthcare for every American.
Political career
In 2020, El-Sayed was selected to serve on President Biden’s Unity Task Force for Healthcare, helping craft policies that are lowering prescription drug prices today.
He never held an elected office and entered the race seven years after losing Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary by more than 20 percentage points.
After losing the 2018 Democratic primary for governor to Gretchen Whitmer, El-Sayed retreated into the political wilderness.
He started a podcast, wrote a book and became a regular presence on YouTube and television, slowly building a following while waiting for a political opening he did not know would come, according to AP.
El-Sayed launched his campaign in April 2025 with a staff of four. In his victory speech on Wednesday, he recalled the small rooms that defined its early months.
"Back in April, I remember talking to a room of five people," he said. "It was an opportunity for us to share an honest conversation about pain and about purpose. And I have been able to have 500 more of those discussions over the past 15 months," reported AP.
El-Sayed campaigned on "Medicare for All", ending military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform.
His education: El-Sayed graduated from the University of Michigan with the highest distinction. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University on an NIH-funded fellowship and a second doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
His family: Abdul lives in Ann Arbor, southeast Michigan, with his wife, Sarah, and their two brilliant young daughters, Emmalee and Serene.
His take on Gaza: El-Sayed has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and demanded an end to US military aid.
His future goal: El-Sayed, the charismatic former local government health official, also has his eye on a bigger prize: leading the fight for the left in Washington against President Donald Trump, AFP reported.