MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – In January, U.S. Democratic Senator Gary Peters announced he would not be running for re-election after his term ends this year. This has opened the door for an open seat on the U.S. Senate for Michigan candidates, such as Democratic candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
On Tuesday evening, El-Sayed spoke at NMU’s Northern Center. He covered policies and answered community questions, specifically on some of the issues he says have gone unaddressed by current members of the U.S. Senate.
“I think that starts with taking on the way that corporations have been able we’ve got to take that on,” said El-Sayed. “To me, I think that starts with taking on the way that corporations have been able to rig our economy through our politics, by buying access to politicians. We’ve got to take that on.”
El-Sayed is a University of Michigan graduate and a devoted leader in Wayne County’s Public Health System. Originally going to school to become a doctor before shifting into politics, El-Sayed utilizes his medical background in his objectives, pointing out what he calls ‘symptoms’ in this administration that can be treated with the right actions.
“One of the things you start to realize when you talk to enough people who are sick, is that the things that make them sick tend to be things that happen outside their bodies, right?” said El-Sayed. “It’s about the society they live in. And when you get curious about that, that’s what led me into public health, and ultimately led me into politics.”
While working as the Executive Director of the Detroit Health Department, Abdul’s team heavily impacted communities during the Flint water crisis. His campaign looks to fight against environmental issues, pushing for better energy resources surrounding Earth’s largest body of freshwater.
“If we’re serious about being able to both lower our energy prices and save the earth and save our resources like the Great Lakes,” said El-Sayed. “I think we need to be thinking about how we can invest in the technology of the future around energy.”
With the upcoming election on November 3, 2026, Abdul will be one of many Michigan candidates looking to take the open seat in the U.S. Senate. Currently, there are 7 candidates campaigning for the position.
El-Sayed will continue his campaign on June 11 in Escanaba.
For more information on Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign, visit abdulforsenate.com.