Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. Senate Michigan

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of Michigan

Graduate

Oxford University

Ph.D

Oxford University

Medical

Columbia University

Personal

Religion

Islam

Profession

Medical doctor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Campaign TikTok

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Abdul El-Sayed (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Michigan. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

A native of Michigan, El-Sayed attended the University of Michigan, where he played on the lacrosse team. After graduation, El-Sayed became a Rhodes Scholar, obtaining a doctorate from Oxford University. El-Sayed then went on to attend Columbia University medical school, earning his medical degree and becoming a professor of public health. After Detroit's declaration of bankruptcy, El-Sayed was hired in 2015 to manage the newly privatized Health Department. He continued to hold that position until February 2017, when he left to become a full-time candidate for governor.

Education

• Graduate - Andover High School (2003)
• B.S. in biology and political science - University of Michigan (2007)
• D.Phil. in public health - University of Oxford (2011)
• M.D. - Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2014)

Elections

2026

See also: United States Senate election in Michigan, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. Senate Michigan

The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. Senate Michigan on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Abdul El-Sayed (D)
		Rachel Howard (D)
		Mallory McMorrow (D)
		Haley Stevens (D)
	Submit photo	Travis Zollner (D)
	Submit photo	Kent Benham (R)
		Frederick Heurtebise (R)
		Andrew Kamal (R)
		Mike Rogers (R)
	Submit photo	Genevieve Scott (R)
		TJ Stephens (Unaffiliated)
		Lydia Christensen (Independent)
	Submit photo	Craig Henley Johnson (Independent)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joseph Tate (D)
• Gary Peters (D)

Endorsements

El-Sayed received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent)
• U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D)
• State Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D)
• Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud (D)
• Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley (D)
• Wayne County Executive Warren Evans (D)
• Minnesota Atty Gen. Keith Ellison (D)
• Peace Action

2018

See also: Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 and Michigan gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 7 Democratic primary)

General election

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Michigan on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for Governor of Michigan

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gretchen Whitmer (D)	53.3	2,266,193
		Bill Schuette (R)	43.7	1,859,534
		Bill Gelineau (L)	1.3	56,606
		Todd Schleiger (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	0.7	29,219
		Jennifer Kurland (G)	0.7	28,799
		Keith Butkovich (Natural Law Party)	0.2	10,202
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	32

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,250,585 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Richard Sills (Independent)
• Ryan Henry Cox (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Gretchen Whitmer defeated Abdul El-Sayed and Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gretchen Whitmer	52.0	588,436
		Abdul El-Sayed	30.2	342,179
		Shri Thanedar	17.7	200,645

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,131,260
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kentiel White (D)
• Bill Cobbs (D)
• Justin Giroux (D)

Endorsements

Click [show] to view endorsements issued in this election

Democratic candidate endorsements Endorsement Date El-Sayed Thanedar Whitmer Federal officials Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) Jul 26, 2018 ✔ Sen. Carl Levin (D) May 24, 2018 ✔ Rep. Dan Kildee (D) March 13, 2018 ✔ Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) March 13, 2018 ✔ Rep. Sandy Levin (D) March 13, 2018 ✔ Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D) March 13, 2018 ✔ National figures Michael Moore July 19, 2018 ✔ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) July 2, 2018 ✔ Shaun King January 30, 2018 ✔ Organizations Service Employees International Union July 23, 2018 ✔ The Detroit News July 18, 2018 ✔ Our Revolution May 5, 2018 ✔ Democracy for America April 26, 2018 ✔ Michigan AFL-CIO April 11, 2018 ✔ American Federation of Teachers—Michigan March 27, 2018 ✔ United Auto Workers March 19, 2018 ✔ Teamsters Joint Council 43 March 9, 2018 ✔ Justice Democrats February 22, 2018 ✔ Michigan Education Association January 15, 2018 ✔ Michigan Nurses Association November 13, 2017 ✔ EMILY's List March 14, 2017 ✔ Southwest Michigan for Progress Unknown ✔

Noteworthy events

On January 29, 2018, Bridge Magazine published an article examining El-Sayed's eligibility to run for Michigan governor. According to the magazine, El-Sayed was a registered voter in New York until March 2015, potentially making him ineligible to run for governor. This is because gubernatorial candidates in Michigan are required to be registered to vote in the state for four consecutive years leading up to the general election date. The magazine reported that Michigan canceled El-Sayed's driver's license in 2013 and he was placed on a cancellation countdown, meaning El-Sayed would have had to verify his Michigan residency to the state if he attempted to vote there between 2013 and 2016. Had El-Sayed not registered to vote by 2016, the state would have canceled his registration automatically.

In response, El-Sayed's campaign stated that the candidate had continuous residency in the state. They noted that El-Sayed had been registered to vote in Michigan since he was 18 years old and that he had owned a residence in Ann Arbor beginning in 2008. El-Sayed's spokesperson, Adam Joseph, called the report politically motivated. “Let’s be clear, this is a political attack, and nothing more, and it falls in line with a long history of attacks on certain kinds of people when they aspire to leadership in our democracy,” Joseph said.

The Michigan Democratic Party requested in February 2018 that El-Sayed receive a court ruling regarding his eligibility to run for governor. On March 19, 2018, El-Sayed's attorneys filed a judgment request with Michigan's 3rd Circuit Court that would declare El-Sayed eligible to run for governor.

In April 2018, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson (R) said the judgment request was premature because no one had filed a challenge to El-Sayed's candidacy. Assistant Attorney General of Michigan Heather Meingast filed a request to dismiss El-Sayed's eligibility judgment on April 17, 2018. “The controversy, such as there is, is the creation of the media and the Michigan Democratic Party — not state action,” Meingast wrote in the filing.

In response, El-Sayed told The Detroit News that the state's request for dismissal was “entirely vindicating of the fact that this was never an issue to begin with." He added, "For us, this is a moment to really think about how and why the party would ask one specific candidate to take appropriate legal action, and we did that.”

By the May 1 deadline to file candidacy challenges, fellow gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar and three other Michigan voters filed requests to determine El-Sayed's eligibility. The Michigan Bureau of Elections dismissed the challenges on May 9, 2018, saying they were invalid because El-Sayed's affidavit of identity indicated he had been a Michigan resident for 22 years.

On May 17, 2018, it was announced that Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray dismissed El-Sayed's request for judgment on his eligibility to run for governor. El-Sayed's Communication Director Joseph stated, "As we expected, the Secretary of State last week rejected these baseless allegations in an unprecedented confirmation of Abdul's eligibility to serve as governor in his state. As of this week, Judge Murray has also consented to our motion to dismiss the case following the Bureau of Elections decision, further certifying Abdul's eligibility."

The chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, Brandon Dillon, also issued a statement, saying, "Following the recent ruling from Judge Murray as well as the ruling by the Bureau of Elections, we consider this matter settled and Abdul to be eligible."

Republican primary election

Bill Schuette defeated Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck, and Jim Hines in the Republican primary for Governor of Michigan on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Michigan

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Schuette	50.7	501,959
		Brian Calley	25.2	249,185
		Patrick Colbeck	13.1	129,646
		Jim Hines	11.0	108,735

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 989,525
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Evan Space (R)

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2018

The following issue statements were found on El-Sayed's official campaign website. For a full list of issue statements, click here.

“	Jobs and Prosperity The fruits of the economy have been enjoyed by too few for too long. Across the state, thousands struggle to find jobs or have stopped searching altogether. Michiganders, like millions across the nation, have been left behind as multinational corporations with no allegiance to Michigan replace human labor with robots and leave to exploit cheaper labor overseas. Rising income inequality is hurting our families, keeping parents from providing for their children. Workers’ rights matter. No one should work a full week and not be able to feed their family. As governor, I will fight to make work pay by raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, ensuring access to paid sick days, and making high quality childcare affordable and accessible to equalize the economic playing field. Unions have long led the fight for workers in Michigan and beyond. That is why I support labor’s right to organize, and I oppose ‘Right to Work’ legislation. Finally, free trade agreements have harmed Michigan workers. They should be negotiated to benefit the real people who drive America’s economy rather than the elites who grow their profits at our expense. I believe in small business. Every dollar spent at a locally-owned and operated business creates prosperity here in Michigan. We must grow entrepreneurial opportunities across Michigan and even the playing field so that small businesses can flourish. As a millennial, I have a unique appreciation of the value that young entrepreneurs bring to a flourishing economy. I will fight to ensure that our greatest asset - Michigan’s minds - have a place in Michigan to build our future. Clean Government Michiganders deserve a government they can trust, where the will of the people takes priority over the interests of corporations and lobbyists. But today, approval ratings for state government are at an all-time low. We need accountability and transparency in Lansing. Michigan is among the most gerrymandered states in America. I oppose gerrymandering by either party and support bipartisan redistricting, giving every Michigander an equal vote. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) forces government to release documents related to their day-to-day work. However, neither the governor nor the Senate are exposed to FOIA, allowing them to operate in the dark. I would push to subject the governor and Senate to FOIA, and would commit to full transparency according to FOIA guidelines beginning on my first day in office. Special interests have our politicians in their pockets. Michigan’s campaign finance laws allow special interest groups to contribute more than eight times as much per year to candidates for office in Michigan’s legislature than the federal legislature. We need campaign finance reform that limits the amount that corporations and special interests can contribute to campaigns. The brutal emergency management laws currently on the books strip Michigan communities of their right to govern themselves and have driven crises like Flint. As governor, I will repeal the emergency manager laws in favor of more a sustainable approach to supporting Michigan’s municipalities that ensure local control. Education Young Michiganders need to graduate with real skills that prepare them for further education and for success in tomorrow's economy. Yet, today, less than half of children in Michigan are proficient in math and science and fewer are prepared for college. We must reinvest in our public education system. As Governor, I will fight to guarantee every Michigan child access to the best public education imaginable, from pre-K to postgrad. This includes renewed investment in school infrastructure, so that children are learning in safe, healthy environments. This includes establishing high quality, universal pre-K. And this includes getting the profit motive out of public education – putting our children’s futures back in the hands of families, educators, and communities, rather than private interests. Higher education is one of Michigan’s most important engines of mobility. But right now, it is too expensive for too many. I will fight to build a higher education system that supports both college and vocational education. That starts with improving support for Michigan’s 28 community colleges and 15 public colleges and universities. It means reducing college debt through innovative funding programs. And it means building future-oriented accredited training opportunities that combine the best of the traditional college model with the best of the apprenticeship model. Our higher education system must prepare our youth to thrive – no matter what path they choose.	”
—Abdul El-Sayed

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Abdul El-Sayed campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. Senate Michigan	Candidacy Declared general	$1,797,545	$697,347
Grand total			$1,797,545	$697,347
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2026 Elections

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External links

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U.S. Senate Michigan

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Footnotes

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Elissa Slotkin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Tom Barrett (R)

District 8

Kristen Rivet (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (7)