Abdul El-Sayed
Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, and dynamic progressive leader who has seamlessly blended a career in public health with an active role in Michigan politics. Having dramatically rebuilt Detroit's health department and served Wayne County, he now stands as the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election, embodying a dedication to systemic change and public service. Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of this emerging voice in national political discourse. Abdul El-Sayed boasts an exceptional academic background, holding multiple advanced degrees and leadership roles in public health, including rebuilding Detroit's health department and leading Wayne County's health services. He is the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Michigan, having won a competitive primary on a distinctly progressive platform. El-Sayed advocates for policies like Medicare for All, robust environmental protection, and a re-evaluation of U.S. foreign aid, particularly regarding Israel, reflecting his deep commitment to social and health equity.
AI Summary
Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, and dynamic progressive leader who has seamlessly blended a career in public health with an active role in Michigan politics. Having dramatically rebuilt Detroit's health department and served Wayne County, he now stands as the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election, embodying a dedication to systemic change and public service. Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of this emerging voice in national political discourse.
- Abdul El-Sayed boasts an exceptional academic background, holding multiple advanced degrees and leadership roles in public health, including rebuilding Detroit's health department and leading Wayne County's health services.
- He is the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Michigan, having won a competitive primary on a distinctly progressive platform.
- El-Sayed advocates for policies like Medicare for All, robust environmental protection, and a re-evaluation of U.S. foreign aid, particularly regarding Israel, reflecting his deep commitment to social and health equity.
A Life of Purpose: Introducing Abdul El-Sayed
Born on October 31, 1984, in Rochester Hills, a suburb of Detroit, Abdul El-Sayed's story began with his Egyptian immigrant parents. His father, Mohamed, an engineer, immigrated to the U.S. to pursue his PhD at Wayne State University, instilling a strong work ethic in his son.
Early Life and Academic Excellence
El-Sayed grew up in the Detroit area with his father and stepmother, Jacqueline, both engineers. He excelled in high school as a three-sport athlete—wrestling, football, and lacrosse—demonstrating early discipline and leadership.
His academic journey continued at the University of Michigan, where he majored in biology and political science, graduating with Highest Distinction in 2007. He delivered the student commencement speech that year, an address so impactful that President Bill Clinton, who followed him, praised his ability to bridge divides and encouraged his pursuit of public service.
El-Sayed initially pursued medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, even leading a medical mission to Peru. As a second-year student, he earned the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which led him to Oriel College, Oxford, where he captained the men's lacrosse team and completed a doctorate in public health in 2011.
He later completed his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at Columbia University, supported by the Soros Fellowship for New Americans and the Medical Scientist Training Program. Crucially, after earning his M.D., El-Sayed chose not to pursue a medical license, instead dedicating his career to public health epidemiology.
A Distinguished Public Health Career
In 2014, El-Sayed joined the faculty at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health as an assistant professor of epidemiology. There, he directed the Systems Science Program and Global Research Analytics for Population Health, developing the school's first course on systems science and population health.
His scholarly contributions are extensive, with over 100 articles, abstracts, and book chapters on public health policy, social epidemiology, and health disparities. He also co-edited a foundational textbook on systems science and population health, published by Oxford University Press.
Rebuilding Detroit's Health Department
In August 2015, at just 30 years old, El-Sayed was appointed Health Officer and Executive Director of the Detroit Health Department by Mayor Mike Duggan. He became the youngest health officer in a major U.S. city, tasked with rebuilding the department after its services had been privatized during the city's municipal bankruptcy.
During his tenure, he championed several impactful initiatives. He successfully pushed for reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions from a local refinery, initiated lead testing in Detroit schools following the Flint water crisis, provided free glasses to children, and reformed the city's Animal Control department.
His transformative work earned him accolades, including Crain's Detroit's '40 under 40' and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters' 'Public Official of the Year.' He also served on key state and national health advisory commissions, solidifying his reputation as a public health leader.
Beyond his direct service, El-Sayed continues to engage with public health issues as the host of 'America Dissected with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed,' a podcast produced by Crooked Media, where he dissects the intricate intersection of politics and public health.
Leading Wayne County Health Services
In December 2022, El-Sayed took on another significant leadership role, being named director of Wayne County's Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services. He assumed the position in March 2023 and resigned in April 2025, further expanding his executive experience in public health administration.
Venturing into Politics: The 2018 Gubernatorial Campaign
Inspired by the Flint water crisis, El-Sayed resigned from his Detroit health director role in 2017 to run for Governor of Michigan. He explained, "I watched as Governor Snyder and his team of accountants were cutting costs and cutting corners. Their inattention to communities ultimately poisoned thousands of children..."
His 2018 gubernatorial campaign was notable for its progressive platform and his pledge to accept no corporate donations, raising over $5 million from individual contributions. He garnered endorsements from prominent figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as organizations like Justice Democrats.
Though he ultimately lost the Democratic primary to Gretchen Whitmer, securing about 30% of the vote, El-Sayed's campaign energized many progressive voters. Afterward, he founded Southpaw Michigan, a political action committee supporting progressive candidates and ballot initiatives, and served on the Biden–Sanders Unity Task Force on healthcare in 2020.
The 2026 U.S. Senate Campaign
El-Sayed's political journey continued, and in April 2025, he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Michigan, following incumbent Gary Peters' decision not to seek reelection. His campaign became a crucial battleground for the Democratic Party's moderate and progressive wings.
He faced scrutiny for campaigning with political streamer Hasan Piker, whose past comments on sensitive topics drew controversy. El-Sayed defended the engagement as an effort to reach diverse audiences, clarifying that he doesn't agree with all of Piker's statements.
After a competitive primary against Haley Stevens, the Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed on the morning of August 5. He is now the Democratic nominee, set to face Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the general election.
If elected, Abdul El-Sayed would make history as the first Muslim American, the second Egyptian-American, and the first Egyptian-American elected to serve in the U.S. Senate, marking a significant milestone in American politics.
Political Positions and Values
As a progressive Democrat, El-Sayed champions systemic change, advocating for 'Medicare for All'—even co-authoring a book on the topic—and consistently refusing PAC donations in favor of individual contributions. He served as a national campaign surrogate for Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign.
Economy and Regulation
While supportive of regulated capitalism, El-Sayed argues for stronger enforcement of anti-monopoly laws, the elimination of corporate tax breaks, and robust regulation of billionaires to fund public infrastructure. He also advocates for federal guardrails on data centers to prevent customer rate increases and released a plan for AI regulation in June 2026.
Environment
Environmental protection remains a core tenet of his platform. He calls for tougher enforcement of environmental laws, proposes merging Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Quality into a single Department of the Environment, and aims for 100% renewable energy in the state by 2030.
Foreign Policy and Israel
El-Sayed generally opposes U.S. military aid to foreign countries, though he cites U.S. actions in Ukraine and Serbia during the 1990s as beneficial exceptions. However, he specifically advocates for ending U.S. military assistance to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
He has been a vocal critic of Israel's conduct in the Gaza War, calling it a "public health catastrophe" and a "genocide," emphasizing that the conflict is a "morality test." El-Sayed has criticized U.S. military funding to Israel, AIPAC, and Israeli influence in U.S. politics, while denying claims of antisemitism and pledging to protect the Jewish community.
El-Sayed views Israel as an ethno-state and rejects ethno-nationalism across the board, including Egyptian and Saudi Arabian variants. He has called Israel a "rogue state" committing "human rights abuses, genocide, and apartheid," arguing that the U.S. should stop providing "blank checks" to the Israeli military.
Immigration and Unionization
On immigration, El-Sayed supports abolishing ICE, arguing it's "corrupted at its soul," though he acknowledges the need for certain types of border law enforcement. He is also a staunch supporter of unionization, having been a member of SEIU, AFT, UAW, and the National Writers Union, believing it's crucial for protecting "worker dignity" amidst the rise of AI.
Personal Life and Publications
Abdul El-Sayed lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, Sarah Jukaku, and their two daughters. He is Muslim and maintains strong ties to his community. He is a member of several unions, including the National Writers Union and the UAW, which endorsed his Senate campaign in June 2026.
Beyond his extensive academic publications, El-Sayed is the author of 'Healing Politics: A Doctor's Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic' (2020) and co-authored 'Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide' (2021). His financial disclosure in July 2026 reported his wife's ownership of a rental property in Dubai.
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Abdul El-Sayed
Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed (born October 31, 1984) is an American epidemiologist and politician who is the Democratic nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan.
Born and raised in southeast Michigan, El-Sayed graduated from the University of Michigan and was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, where he earned a doctorate in public health. He then earned his medical degree from Columbia University. He then became an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He was the executive director of the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017. From 2023 to 2025, he served as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services.
A progressive Democrat, El-Sayed supports Medicare for All, ending US military funding to Israel, and abolishing ICE. In the 2026 Michigan Democratic Senate primary, El-Sayed defeated U.S. representative Haley Stevens. He faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate.
Early life, family, and education
Abdul El-Sayed
Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed was born on October 31, 1984, in Rochester Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, to Egyptian immigrant parents. His father, Mohamed El-Sayed, was raised in Alexandria, Egypt, and immigrated to the United States to pursue graduate studies at Wayne State University. His mother, Fatten El-Komy, is a nurse practitioner in Missouri. El-Sayed was raised in the Detroit area by his father and stepmother, Jacqueline Johnson, a native of Gratiot County, Michigan. Both his father and stepmother are mechanical engineers.
In 2003, El-Sayed graduated from Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, where he was a three-sport athlete and captain of the wrestling, football, and lacrosse teams. He then attended the University of Michigan, majoring in biology and political science and playing on the men's club lacrosse team. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with highest distinction in 2007 with a bachelor's degree and gave that year's student commencement speech. According to El-Sayed, after the ceremony, former U.S. president Bill Clinton (who gave the keynote speech) encouraged him to consider public service.
El-Sayed received a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Michigan Medical School, where he completed the first two years of a combined M.D./Ph.D. program and initially considered becoming a neurosurgeon. There he led a student medical mission to Peru and founded a student organization that raised money and coordinated community service for a local free clinic. He later wrote in his Rhodes Scholarship application, "My religion teaches that if one saves a life, she has saved all of humanity", recounting a childhood conversation with his father about the importance of saving lives while teaching others to do the same.
As a second-year medical student, El-Sayed received a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oriel College, Oxford, where he completed a Doctor of Philosophy in public health in 2011. At Oxford, he earned a full blue as captain of the men's lacrosse team. In 2014, he completed a Doctor of Medicine degree at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, supported by a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans and the Medical Scientist Training Program. He later worked as an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia but did not pursue residency training, and therefore did not become licensed to practice medicine.
Career in public health
Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed in Detroit, 2016
Public health professor
In 2014, El-Sayed joined the faculty at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health as an assistant professor in the epidemiology department. He served as director of Columbia's Systems Science Program and Global Research Analytics for Population Health. He created and taught the Mailman School's first course on systems science and population health. El-Sayed and Sandro Galea co-edited a textbook on the topic Systems Science and Population Health, published in 2017 by Oxford University Press.
Health director of Detroit
In August 2015, Mayor Mike Duggan appointed El-Sayed Health Officer and Executive Director of the Detroit Health Department, making him, at 30 years old, the youngest health officer in a major U.S. city at the time. In that role, he was charged with rebuilding the Detroit Health Department after government public health activities were provided by a nonprofit when the city went bankrupt in 2012.
In his first year as director, he led efforts to oppose increases in sulfur dioxide emissions by Marathon Petroleum's Southwest Refinery, which resulted in reductions in overall emissions. He also led efforts to test Detroit schools for lead in the wake of the Flint water crisis and to increase funding for the city's Animal Control department.
El-Sayed was appointed to the governor's statewide Childhood Lead Elimination Board. He also served on the State of Michigan's Public Health Advisory Commission and the advisory committee to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Healthy People program.
In 2016, El-Sayed was named one of Crain's Detroit's "40 under 40" and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters' "Public Official of the Year". In 2017, the University of Michigan awarded him a Bicentennial Alumni Award.
Since 2019, El-Sayed has hosted America Dissected with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a podcast about politics and public health produced by Crooked Media.
El-Sayed testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, 2024
Health director of Wayne County
In December 2022, El-Sayed was named director of Wayne County's Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services, assuming the role in March 2023.
During his tenure, El-Sayed oversaw the installation of air quality monitors across Wayne County to identify pollution hotspots and helped eliminate medical debt for about 300,000 county residents. He helped the county restructure the Juvenile Youth Services and relocate the Criminal Justice Complex, and started a program for the county to provide eyeglasses to children in lower-income schools.
In April 2025, El-Sayed resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.
2018 gubernatorial campaign
Abdul El-Sayed
On February 9, 2017, the Detroit News reported that El-Sayed would resign as health director to run for governor of Michigan in the 2018 Democratic Party primary. He officially announced his candidacy on February 25, 2017, saying he was inspired to run for governor after the Flint water crisis.
El-Sayed's campaign logo in 2018
El-Sayed pledged to accept no campaign donations from corporations, and raised over $5 million from individual donations.
El-Sayed was endorsed by U.S. senator Bernie Sanders, Democratic congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and 2017 Women's March organizer Linda Sarsour. He was also endorsed by the organization Justice Democrats and The Nation magazine. In the August 7 primary, he received 340,560 votes, or about 30% of the vote, losing to Gretchen Whitmer.
In September 2018, El-Sayed founded Southpaw Michigan, a political action committee, to help elect progressive candidates and support ballot initiatives in Michigan. In 2020, he served on the Joe Biden–Bernie Sanders Unity Task Force on healthcare.
2026 U.S. Senate campaign
Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed at a campaign event at Michigan Technological University in 2025
In April 2025, after incumbent Gary Peters announced he would not run for reelection, El-Sayed launched his campaign in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan.
In April 2026, left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker appeared with El-Sayed at two campus rallies and a primary-night party in Detroit. Centrist Democrats and El-Sayed's primary opponents criticized Piker's participation over his past comments about the September 11 attacks, Hamas, and Israel. El-Sayed defended his appearances with Piker as an effort to engage with his audience and said he does not agree with everything Piker has said.
After Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow withdrew from the Democratic primary in July, news outlets called the race a choice between the party's moderate, establishment-backed wing, represented by Haley Stevens, and its progressive wing, represented by El-Sayed. Outside spending became a significant feature of the contest, with about $62 million spent by outside groups in support of Stevens, of which AIPAC and its United Democracy Project affiliate spent $33 million.
On August 4, the day of the primary, as polling showed El-Sayed roughly two points ahead of Stevens, McMorrow endorsed El-Sayed. On August 5, the Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed, who finished with 48.4% to Stevens's 47.6%. He will face Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the general election on November 3, 2026.
After El-Sayed won the primary, AIPAC initially planned to spend millions more in favor of Rogers in the general election, but Rogers asked it not to advertise openly, fearing that its brand is too toxic. In October, AIPAC started spending money on the race with a $95,000 purchase of mailers.
In August 2026, El-Sayed apologized for remarks he made after the 2026 Temple Israel attack in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. After that attack, El-Sayed released a video statement that included the phrase "Hurt people hurt people", a reference to the perpetrator's relatives having been killed in an Israeli airstrike. In his apology, El-Sayed said, "I should have just issued a statement, of course condemning it, and it should have been the full stop."
Also in August 2026, El-Sayed said he had no plans to campaign with Piker again. This came after Piker said during a Twitch stream that if pro-Israel Jewish leaders continue to conflate Judaism and Jewish identity with support for the state of Israel, that could fuel antisemitism and endanger American Jews due to declining public support for and anger toward Israel. In a statement El-Sayed said: "Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk. [...] While politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we're going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare."
In September, Kamala Harris endorsed and campaigned with El-Sayed. In October, Barack Obama endorsed and campaigned with El-Sayed.
El-Sayed's win yielded a wave of anti-Muslim rhetoric online. In September, without evidence, Mike Rogers said El-Sayed was funded by Muslim "terrorist groups", which he did not retract. JD Vance falsely claimed that El-Sayed supports "sharia law". While campaigning for Rogers, Donald Trump has called El-Sayed "Mohammed", repeatedly called him a "jihadist", and a "terrorist sympathizer". In response, El-Sayed said Trump "thinks he can use my name and my faith to distract us from the suffering his policies are inflicting on us", and asked "Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries?"
If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim and first Egyptian-American elected to the US Senate.
Political positions
Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed is a progressive economic populist. He supports Medicare for All and co-authored a book on the topic.
He has vowed not to accept PAC donations, accepting donations from individuals only. He served as a national campaign surrogate for Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, speaking on Sanders's behalf at events and in the media.
Artificial intelligence
In June 2026, El-Sayed released a plan calling for more regulation of artificial intelligence. In August 2026, he criticized data centers, saying, "I stand with local and state elected officials saying that we cannot approve any more of these until we have federal-level guardrails." He has called for guarantees that the operation of data centers will not result in rate increases passed on to customers.
Economy
El-Sayed supports capitalism, saying, "When it comes to the question of socialism, I'm not a socialist. I'm just a capitalist who understands how capitalism works." He has said that regulating billionaires to fund public infrastructure is "not that radical", while advocating for stronger enforcement of anti-monopoly laws and the elimination of corporate tax breaks.
Environment
El-Sayed has called for tougher enforcement of environmental laws and for merging Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality into a single "Department of the Environment", and achieving "100% renewable energy" in Michigan by 2030.
Foreign policy
El-Sayed generally opposes United States military aid to foreign countries, but has cited US actions during Russia's invasion of Ukraine and in Serbia during the 1990s as examples of beneficial US intervention.
In 2026, El-Sayed said the US should not fund foreign militaries at all, and in particular he identified Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Israel
The New York Times called El-Sayed a "fierce critic of Israel". He has criticized Israel over the war and genocide in Gaza. He has also criticized US military funding to Israel, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Israeli influence in US politics.
In a January 2024 podcast, he called the war in the Gaza Strip a public health catastrophe and called for a ceasefire. El-Sayed has called the Gaza genocide a morality test, asking: "If you can't call it what it is, which is a genocide, then how are you going to stand up to Donald Trump? How are you going to stand up to pharma CEOs?"
In April 2026, El-Sayed said in a CNN interview: "Killing tens of thousands of people makes you pretty damn evil. It's not how evil is this one versus that one. Hamas: evil. Israeli government: evil. We can say both."
El-Sayed opposes Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. In April 2026, when asked by The Free Press writer Olivia Reingold whether Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, he replied, "What do you mean by Jewish state?" After Reingold failed to answer, he said, "If you can't define the question, I'm not going to answer your question."
El-Sayed believes Israel is an ethno-state and has said, "I don't believe in ethno-states, and I certainly don't believe that our country is responsible to sustain ethno-states." He has said his rejection of ethno-nationalism has nothing to do with whether a country has a "right to exist", saying he "just [disputes] the idea that you should have an ethno-state" and objects to Egyptian and Saudi Arabian ethno-nationalism in the same way he objects to Zionism.
El-Sayed attributed the 2026 Iran war to AIPAC's influence in US politics. He called Israel a "rogue state" that is committing "human rights abuses, genocide, and apartheid" and said the U.S. should "stop funding the Israeli military unilateral blank checks".
Russia
In March 2022, El-Sayed called the Russo-Ukrainian war "a war between democracy and autocracy, between self-government and fascism", condemning Russian president Vladimir Putin as an "authoritarian dictator".
In April 2025, El-Sayed said that U.S. military aid to Ukraine is different from aid to Israel, as the former is in accordance with several multinational organizations. In September 2025, he said that military aid to Ukraine was about "enforcing the rules of the rules-based international order in accordance with our allies".
Local authority
In 2018, El-Sayed supported repealing Michigan state laws that block local governments from levying a municipal sales tax or enacting rent control laws.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
El-Sayed supports abolishing ICE, arguing that it no longer functions as a legitimate law enforcement agency. While he has expressed support for securing the Mexico–United States border and for "certain kinds" of border law enforcement, he has called ICE "corrupted at its soul".
Unionization
El-Sayed supports unionization, having been a member of the SEIU, AFT, UAW, and National Writers Union. He has said union expansion is necessary to protect "worker dignity" in response to the growth of AI. He has expressed support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act alongside unionization efforts among further professions, such as physicians.
Personal life
Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed was born and raised in southeast Michigan, and lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah Jukaku, whom he married in 2006, and their two daughters. He is Muslim.