


Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee?
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Abdul El-Sayed has won the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and is now the party’s nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate race. He will face Republican Mike Rogers in a competitive general election, and recent polling has Rogers slightly ahead or within the margin of error. El-Sayed has also drawn attention for becoming the first Muslim nominated by the Democratic Party for Michigan’s Senate seat, while responding to criticism and attacks by saying he is focused on the general election.
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.
Average recalculated from polls through Jul 28 - 30.


Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Campaign finance totals from the latest available reporting period.
2026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.