ANN ARBOR – Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, director of the Wayne County Department of Health and former candidate for governor, has announced that he is seriously considering a run for the U.S. Senate, aiming to succeed incumbent Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who recently declared that he will not seek re-election in the 2026 elections.

In an interview with the Detroit News on Monday, the Egyptian American progressive Democrat stated that he hopes to reach a final decision in the coming months. He explained that, if he moves forward with his candidacy, he will work on “building a unifying movement that brings people together around real solutions to address political dysfunction.”

A progressive political journey

El-Sayed, 40, currently a resident of Ann Arbor, previously ran for governor in 2018. He lost in the Democratic primary to Gov. Whitmer, who won 52 percent of the vote. El-Sayed came in second with 30 percent, while Indian American businessman Shri Thanedar finished third with 18 percent. Thanedar later won a U.S. House seat in Detroit in 2020.

In total, El-Sayed received 342,000 votes in the 2018 primary, compared to 588,000 for Whitmer and 200,000 for Thanedar. Notably, he was the first Muslim candidate in Michigan’s history to run for governor, earning the backing of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, led by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

A distinguished academic and professional background

Born in Detroit in 1984 to Egyptian immigrant parents, Abdulrahman El-Sayed, commonly known as Abdul El-Sayed, graduated in 2003 from Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills before enrolling at the University of Michigan. He majored in biology and political science, graduating with honors, and was selected to deliver the student commencement speech in front of former President Clinton in 2007.

A talented lacrosse player, El-Sayed earned a full scholarship to the University of Michigan Medical School before receiving the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which took him to Oxford University, where he completed a Ph.D. in public health in 2011.

In 2014, he earned his M.D. from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, funded by the Soros Fellowship for New Americans. However, he did not complete a medical residency, meaning he is not licensed to practice medicine.

El-Sayed later worked as a public health professor and epidemiologist before joining the public sector. In 2015, he was appointed director of the Detroit Health Department, a role he held until his resignation in 2017, when he launched his gubernatorial campaign. Following his defeat, he founded Southpaw, a political action committee aimed at supporting progressive candidates in Michigan.

Since March 2023, El-Sayed has been serving as director of Public Health for Wayne County.

A bold senate bid

Discussing his reasons for considering a Senate run, El-Sayed told the Detroit News:

“The main issue is that we need someone who is committed to Michigan, who understands and empathizes with its people and who is ready to take on the challenges facing our state.”

He expressed confidence in competing against any potential Democratic challengers, including Pete Buttigieg, the former secretary of transportation under President Biden. Buttigieg is widely regarded as a top contender in the 2026 Michigan Senate race.

Other Democratic names reportedly considering a run include U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens and Hillary Scholten, as well as State Senator Mallory McMorrow and state Attorney General Dana Nessel, who has not yet made any official statements regarding her candidacy.

Republican contenders emerge

On the Republican side, several names are being floated as potential candidates, with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers among the most prominent. Rogers lost his 2024 Senate bid to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.

Other Republicans reportedly considering entering the race include current U.S. Representatives John James, Bill Huizenga and Lisa McClain.

As the race for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat in 2026 takes shape, El-Sayed’s potential candidacy could add a progressive voice to the Democratic primary, setting the stage for a highly competitive election.