Polling Average
50%40%30%20%10%0%
36.8%
31.4%
Democrat
Abdul El-Sayed
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan
Democrat
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee?
$30.4M
AUG 5, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Live Odds
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
Abdul El-Sayed is trading at 100% to win the Michigan Democratic Senate nominee? on prediction markets.
Candidate Overview
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current rolePhysician
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age41 years old (Oct 31, 1984)
GenderMale
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LocationMichigan
BackgroundPhysician
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BS)
Notable personal detailsAbdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed is an American physician and epidemiologist who served as executive director and health officer of the Detroit Health Department (2015–2017) and later as director of Wayne County, Michigan’s Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services (2023–2025). He previously was an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University and hosts the podcast "America Dissected". He ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Michigan in 2018 and is running in Michigan’s 2026 U.S. Senate election.
SourcesShowHide
en.wikipedia.orgx.comvagelos.columbia.eduregents.umich.eduabdulsayed.orgballotready.orgcommons.wikimedia.orgidcrawl.compredictionedge.comlinktr.eerottentomatoes.comdiscoverthenetworks.orgkeywiki.orgonpcsb.roredfame.comlinkedin.comabdulforsenate.commichiganpublic.orgmetrotimes.comwdet.orgmichiganadvance.comcbsnews.comrewirenewsgroup.comabortion-blog.comtheguardian.combridgemi.comcrooked.comapnews.comwgvunews.orgpresidency.ucsb.edufreebeacon.comfox17online.comthehill.comnytimes.comaxios.comuaw.orgfront.moveon.orgnbcnews.commichigandaily.cominthesetimes.commichiganindependent.comfoxnews.compbs.orgbbc.comnewyorker.com19thnews.orgpolitico.comfacebook.comyoutube.comfec.govdocquery.fec.govvotesmart.orgdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgstatic.votesmart.orgcdn.ballotpedia.orgcreativecommons.orgupload.wikimedia.orglegislation.ballotpedia.orgcba.ballotpedia.org
Political Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Supports taxing corporations and wealthy interests to fund expanded public investment and programs, including proposals for progressive payroll taxes and business gross-receipts or income-based levies to finance universal healthcare, infrastructure, and other public priorities.
Healthcare
Supports Medicare for All and elimination of medical debt; advocates guaranteeing comprehensive, public health insurance for every American while also expanding targeted programs and debt relief.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has advocated for sanctuary-state policies and protections for immigrant communities. He frames ICE as a paramilitary force that should be dismantled rather than reformed and pledges to lead abolition efforts in the Senate.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports robust pro-choice policies and protection of abortion access, including advocating for Planned Parenthood and state-level measures to protect and expand reproductive health services. Has proposed repealing restrictive state laws that criminalize or limit abortion and said comprehensive family planning must include access to abortion care. Seeks to defend and codify protections for abortion access as part of broader reproductive justice and health-care policy.
Climate & Energy
Supports the Green New Deal framework and advocates for aggressive action on climate change tied to public-health and environmental-justice goals; has taken regulatory and enforcement actions against local polluters and promoted clean-air measures while in public-health roles. Campaign materials emphasize tackling pollution, removing lead, and investing in communities harmed by fossil-fuel emissions.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports banning military-style assault weapons and expanding federal measures to reduce gun trafficking and close background-check loopholes; advocates for stronger federal gun-safety laws to reduce mass shootings and household gun-related harms.
Latest News
AINews Summary
Last updatedAug 13, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed has won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and is now the party’s nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate race, setting up a general election against Republican Mike Rogers. The win was narrow, and it has energized progressives while also raising concerns among some Democrats about competitiveness in a battleground state. He has also faced attacks over his Muslim identity and false online claims, which fact-checkers have rejected. After the primary, he said he spoke with Barack Obama and hopes to help unify Michigan Democrats for the general election.
en.wikipedia.org+58
Articles
CCNBC9 hours ago
Massive polling misses in Wisconsin, Michigan primaries
Positive
TAThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution10 hours ago
As Abdul El-Sayed breaks a barrier, anti-Muslim vitriol surges on multiple fronts
Positive
WWJLA1 day ago
Almost half of New Yorkers aren't supportive of Democratic Socialists of America: poll
Positive
TNThe New York Times2 days ago
Abdul El-Sayed Deleted Old Posts and Videos Defending ‘Defund’ and Floating an End to Fireworks
Neutral
Latest Polls
Recent polling results and the candidate's current average in the race.
Abdul El-Sayed currently averages 36.8%, ranking first in this race, 5.4 points ahead of the nearest opponent.
Polling average: 36.8%Position: firstMargin: +5.4 ptsLatest poll: 56.0% (Jul 28 - 30)Polls included: 36
Average recalculated from polls through Jul 28 - 30.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Endorsements
23Michigan Democratic Senate nominee?
Campaign Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
Total raisedCash on hand
$14.5M
$10.9M
$7.3M
$3.6M
$0
2026
LatestYear
Total raised
Cash on hand
Total spent
Burn rate
Cycle 2026
$14.5M
$2.6M
$12.0M
$630.3K
Source: FEC