Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic Party candidate for the Senate in Michigan and appears ahead of Republican Mike Rogers in the latest AtlasIntel poll ahead of the 'midterms'. The survey, conducted between October 28 and November 1 among 1,316 likely voters, gives him 53.5% support, compared with 46.4% for his rival: a difference of 7.1 percentage points.
The contest is held this Tuesday, November 3, within the midterm elections to the Senate that renew part of the U.S. upper chamber. Michigan's seat is currently in Democratic hands, so a victory for El-Sayed would allow the party to keep it.
A doctor and epidemiologist with experience in public administration
Born and raised in the Detroit metropolitan area, El-Sayed studied Biology and Political Science at the University of Michigan, where he graduated with the highest honors. He later earned a doctorate in Public Health from the University of Oxford, as a Rhodes scholar, and a Medical degree from Columbia University.
His professional career has developed mainly in the field of public health. Between 2015 and 2017 he headed the Detroit Health Department, where he took on rebuilding the agency after the city went through a bankruptcy process and privatization of its services. Later, between 2022 and 2025, he was in charge of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human Services and Veterans Affairs, which serves 1.8 million residents.
Before running in the 'midterms', he had also taken part in the race for Michigan Governorship in 2018. In academia, he has worked as a professor and researcher in epidemiology and health policy, and is the author of publications and books on the U.S. health system.
Check here the AtlasIntel poll for the Michigan Senate.