Dr. Abdul El-Sayed was born and raised in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan, where he played lacrosse and met his wife. He's a big Michigan sports fan, also loves to work out, enjoying a good biography with a good cup of coffee.
A highlight so far in his life was delivering the student commencement speech in 2007 at U of M, alongside President Bill Clinton.
His family is rich with diversity, "including immigrants who left Egypt in pursuit of greater opportunity in America, and farmers, teachers, and small-business owners who have lived in Gratiot County, Michigan for generations."
A family man and a doctor, he has worked to make sure that kids attending Detroit schools and daycares had lead-free water. He also built a program to give school age children across Detroit glasses if they needed them to see better.
His platform is broken down on his website in 20 points.
Fight inequality in all forms
Raise the minimum wage to $15/hour
Implement state-level single-payer healthcare
Protect a woman’s right to choose and eliminate the gender pay gap
Never accept a dime of corporate money and get the money out of politics
Rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges
Make college tuition free for families earning under $150K & Reinvest in public education
End the profit motive in public education
Reform auto insurance to reduce costs while protecting people
Fund and implement universal Pre-Kindergarten
Amend civil rights legislation to enumerate protections for LGBTQ+ Michiganders
Reform our criminal justice system & tackle mass incarceration and police violence
Aggressive action on climate, environmental justice, and no new fossil fuel infrastructure
Legalize marijuana
Fight for clean water for all and shut down Enbridge’s Line 5
Tackle the opioid epidemic through comprehensive mental health reform
Stand with labor to end Right to Work and protect Prevailing Wage
Provide high-speed broadband internet to every community in Michigan and protect net neutrality
Support child and elderly care for Michiganders
End gerrymandering and legislative term limits and reinstate FOIA for public officials
"This movement is about a politics of purpose. I am driven by a core belief in Michigan’s people - our potential and the promise of our future. I was born and raised in Michigan. At 30, I was appointed to rebuild the Detroit Health Department after it was shuttered when Detroit faced bankruptcy. As a doctor, an educator, and a public servant, my work and my life has always been about creating opportunities for real people. I am running for Governor because I believe we will come together right now because of our shared future." - Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Candidate for Governor
He was recently endorsed by Shaun King. King is an activist and national leader in the civil rights fight, along with racial justice. He is also endorsed by the Michigan Nurses Association, The People for Bernie Sanders, Millennials for Revolution, and local chapters of the progressive organization Our Revolution in Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids.
Here is a link to his website: https://abdulformichigan.com/
