Single Payer Medicare for All Advocate Abdul El-Sayed Launches Campaign for U.S. Senate
Physician-Turned-Universal Healthcare Activist Enters the Michigan Race for the Open Senate Seat Calling for Single Payer National Improved Medicare For All
(Abdul El-Sayed.)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, CAMPAIGN FOR ABDUL EL-SAYED FOR SENATE | April 17, 2025—Abdul El-Sayed announced his candidacy for Michigan’s open Senate seat this morning. In a launch video, El-Sayed – known across the state as “Abdul” – lays out an All-American vision for a government that puts people first.
“As I’ve spoken to Michiganders, one thing’s become clear: It’s just too hard to get by,” said Abdul. “But it doesn’t have to be. And to fix it, we need to break the chokehold that billionaires and oligarchs like Donald Trump and Elon Musk have on our politics and economy. It’s not just about what we’re fighting against -– it’s about what we fight for. Michiganders deserve an economy that works for them, guaranteed healthcare, clean air and water, and affordable housing. Just as I have in Detroit and Wayne County, I’m running to deliver government services that work for the rest of us.”
Abdul enters the Senate race with an energized grassroots base, representing a new kind of candidate in the field: a doctor and doer who’s taken on corrupt politicians and rebuilt broken government agencies to deliver for Michiganders. With deep roots in the state and a clear, hopeful vision, Abdul will unite a winning coalition to take on the far-right in the general election.
“In Michigan, we don’t wait around – we fight back and forge our future,” said Abdul. “Now, it’s time to bring that Michigan grit to Washington and reshape our politics to work for us.”
A seasoned public servant, 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. 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 that will cancel up to $700 million in medical debt for 300,000 Michiganders over 2 years. His work earned him recognition as “Public Official of the Year” by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and a spot-on Crain’s Detroit Business “40 Under 40” list.
Abdul is recognized nationwide as a Public Health and healthcare expert. He is the co-author of 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 to craft policy that is lowering prescription drug prices today.
Born in Southeast Michigan, Abdul was raised by his father Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and his stepmom Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County, Michigan, for over a century.
Abdul proudly attended public schools and captained his high school football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. He graduated from the University of Michigan with the highest distinction and played on the Wolverine’s men’s lacrosse team.
Abdul earned his medical degree from Columbia University on an NIH-funded fellowship and earned his second doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
During his 2018 run for governor in Michigan, Abdul earned more than 340,000 votes from Michiganders across the state, bringing together a diverse coalition around his policy-driven platform.
Abdul lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah, and their two young daughters. He’s been a card-carrying union member of AFT Local 477 and 6244, SEIU Local 500, the National Writers Union, and the AAUP.
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ADDITIONAL READING
BOOKS
Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide
ARTICLES
Michigan’s Newest Senate Candidate Urges Tougher Stance on Trump: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, is joining the Democratic race to succeed Senator Gary Peters, who is retiring | By By Katie Glueck | New York Times April 17, 20225
SHOULD HEALTHCARE BECOME A HUMAN RIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES? Medical and healthcare professionals speak out on where we go from here | By Kimberly J. Soenen | THE FINE PRINT Health Humanities Magazine April 6, 2025
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT