Abdul El-Sayed: the progressive Michigander who beat the pro-Israel lobby

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate from Michigan, has emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for the upcoming United States Senate election. This victory came after a highly contested campaign where traditional Democratic establishment and its allies, including Jewish and pro-Israel lobbying organizations, spent tens of millions of dollars supporting their preferred candidate, Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

El-Sayed, an Egyptian American epidemiologist, secured the Democratic nomination for the Senate race and will face Republican Mike Rogers.

The campaign saw extensive advertising by Stevens's supporters, with total spending reaching $70 million. Pro-Israel Jewish lobbying groups and high-profile Democratic figures, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Gary Peters, also endorsed Stevens to halt El-Sayed's progress. However, progressive left figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, rallied behind El-Sayed, traveling through multiple counties during the campaign.

El-Sayed's win challenges the notion that the Democratic establishment's influence and pro-Israel lobbying groups typically secure electoral victories. Voters responded to his platform and refusal to accept corporate money, corporate lobbyists, or the interests of an aging party establishment. Stevens's campaign received significantly more funding, spending eleven times more than El-Sayed, but did not sway his stance on issues like unconditional military aid to Israel and Palestinian statehood.

El-Sayed's political career began with education in Detroit, Michigan, where he earned degrees in medicine and public health, culminating in further medical studies at Columbia University. Instead of pursuing a medical license, he chose a career in public health and epidemic control. In 2014, he became an assistant professor at Columbia University’s Department of Epidemiology and later directed the Systems Science Program and Global Research Analytics for Population Health.