Mr. El Sayed drew huge campaign crowds across the state, even in deeply conservative Republican areas. He also vowed to get ‘money out of politics’
Abdul El Sayed, first Muslim to win Michigan Senate race: Democrat Abdul El Sayed scripted history by becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate in Michigan. He defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a bitter campaign. ‘Michigan, we did it! I am so proud and honored to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan,’ El-Sayed said in a speech at his election headquarters in Detroit.
Mr. El Sayed won despite a last-minute hiccup in his campaign when congress woman Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic Party to El- Sayed came out in support of Rogers at the 11th hour.
During the race, Mr. El Sayed drew huge campaign crowds across the state, even in deeply conservative Republican areas. He also vowed to get ‘money out of politics’ and address the deepening economic hardships that have left voters seeking a political newcomer to challenge the status quo.
The election makes him the first Democratic doctor in the Senate since 1969. Abdul was the executive director of the Detroit Health Department and Health Officer for the city from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, he resigned to run for governor of the State of Michigan.
He founded Southpaw Michigan, a political action committee, in September 2018 to help elect other progressive candidates in Michigan. He was also formerly an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University.
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Abdul authored the book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide, which explains how to build a healthcare system that guarantees high-quality, affordable healthcare for every American. He has also authored Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic. In 2020, he was selected to serve on President Biden’s Unity Task Force for Healthcare, helping craft policies to lower prescription drug prices.
