Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, having won the August 2026 primary after the most expensive Senate primary in state history. A physician-turned-public-health-official, El-Sayed built his career rebuilding government agencies that had failed Michiganders, from Detroit's health department to Wayne County's. He is running to take that same fight to Washington and build a government that finally works for working people, not billionaires.
Born and raised in Southeast Michigan, El-Sayed is the son of Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant engineer, and stepson of Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County since the 1800s. He captained his high school's football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams before graduating with highest distinction from the University of Michigan, where he also played lacrosse. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, where he earned a doctorate in public health, and later earned his M.D. from Columbia University. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters.
At 30, El-Sayed became Detroit's youngest health director, rebuilding the department after the city's bankruptcy: he led lead testing in Detroit schools after the Flint water crisis, secured free glasses for children, and pushed back on pollution from a local oil refinery. He later led Wayne County's health department, launching a program aimed at retiring up to $700 million in medical debt for Michigan families. His work earned him Michigan LCV's Public Official of the Year award and a spot on Crain's Detroit Business 40 Under 40 list. He co-authored Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide and served on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on healthcare -- experience he now hopes to bring to the U.S. Senate.
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Join States Win in creating a blue wave across state legislatures! 🌊
We are calling voters in key state legislature districts to get out the vote and help elect Democrats and build enduring progressive power.
Join us for a virtual phonebank, where we’ll be calling for our endorsed candidates in targeted states:
Tuesdays at 6pm ET
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Thursdays at 4pm ET
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