Dr. Abdul El-Sayed wasn’t supposed to be a politician.
He studied to be a doctor — but realized it was our broken politics that was making people sick. Abdul has dedicated his entire career to building government agencies that actually work for Michiganders.
After a successful career of making government work for Michiganders, Abdul is ready to take his vision to Washington and make the United States Senate work for you.
Abdul rebuilt a government agency to make it actually work — and then he did it again. He rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department after bankruptcy. Then he restructured Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human, & Veterans Services, serving 1.8 million Michiganders in the state’s largest and most diverse county. 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. He also spearheaded a program to cancel millions of dollars in medical debt for Michiganders. 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.
Recognized nationwide as an expert on improving the American healthcare system, 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. In 2020, he was selected to serve on President Biden’s Unity Task Force for Healthcare, helping craft policies that are lowering prescription drug prices today.
He was born and raised in Southeast Michigan and proudly attended public schools where he captained his high school football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. Abdul was raised by his father, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and his stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County, Michigan, since the 1800s. He graduated from the University of Michigan with the highest distinction and played on the Wolverines men’s lacrosse team. Abdul earned his medical degree from Columbia University on an NIH-funded fellowship and a second doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
Abdul lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah, and their two brilliant young daughters, Emmalee and Serene. He’s been a card-carrying union member of AFT Local 477 and 6244, SEIU Local 500, the National Writers Union, and the AAUP.