DETROIT—In a major announcement last Friday, the United Auto Workers has endorsed Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for the open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. The UAW’s member-elected political action arm, the Community Action Program, known as the CAP Council, released a statement laying out the group’s reasons for backing El-Sayed.
“UAW members in Michigan want a fighter in Washington, D.C., who isn’t afraid to push forward a strong working-class agenda with moral clarity,” the union said. “Having never taken a dime from corporate PACs, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is someone we can trust to have our backs, including when we have needed it most come May Day 2028.”
El-Sayed is one of three Democrats competing for the party’s nomination in the Aug. 4th primary; the others are U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. The winner will go up against Republican Mike Rogers in the general election in November. The seat, which is being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, is on the Democrats’ priority list for regaining control of the Senate.
Previously, El-Sayed served as director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services in Wayne County, and before that, he was the public health director of Detroit. Locking in the UAW’s endorsement is a major boost, and the decision by the CAP Council comes just a week before the union’s constitutional convention opens in Detroit.
The UAW said El-Sayed’s record convinced them he would be an ally for the labor movement and Michiganders at large. “From Medicare for All to banning stock buybacks, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is ready, eager, and well-equipped to move our core issues in the U.S. Senate.” Over a year ago, El-Sayed was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who also cited health care as a reason for the decision.
“Abdul is a physician who understands that our current health care system is broken and wildly expensive. He understands that health care is a human right, which is why he supports Medicare for All,” Sanders said at the time.
The UAW has identified four core issues for the 2026 midterm election campaign which also run through 2028, when their members’ contracts with the Big Three automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis—expire. On the list are those you might expect: wages, health care, retirement security, and time off from work. However, the union is also campaigning hard for policies that shift the tax burden from the working class back to the wealthy.
El-Sayed’s opposition to stock buybacks and his longstanding refusal on accepting corporate campaign contributions was well received by autoworkers. The union has called upon other unions to align their contract expirations on May 1, 2028, to have the strongest possible bargaining power to make collective gains on the four core issues.
There had been some concern about El-Sayed’s polling numbers in the western and northern parts of the state, but the latest data put some of those fears to rest. A Glengariff poll conducted April 17 to 19 showed stronger support for Abdul El-Sayed out-state compared to Stevens.
A Real Clear Polling average from April 11 to May 23 showed El-Sayed with 26.5% support, while Stevens came in at 22.8% and McMorrow at 17.5%. The numbers show that whichever of the three triumphs in the primary will face a tight race against the Republican, Rogers.
Overall, El-Sayed has led in the polls for several weeks. Most of Stevens’ support comes from moderate to conservative Democrats and corporate Super PACs—most famously AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, though she does have some union backing.
In 2022, when Stevens faced Andy Levin, a former union staffer and progressive, the significant contributions she received from AIPAC—more than $4 million—made the difference, and she is still getting money from the lobbying group in the current campaign. Cash received from corporate interests has been another campaign finance issue highlighted by El-Sayed in a recent debate.
“I’ll tell you this, the revolution is definitely not coming if we’re not fighting for it,” he said. “So let’s play a game. If you’re on this stage and you’ve never taken a check from Blue Cross Blue Shield, raise your hand.” El-Sayed raised his, but Stevens and McMorrow sat motionless, sparking laughs from the crowd.
The UAW made several other endorsements in primary races beyond the Senate matchup. The union gave its nod to current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who’s running for governor, Eli Savit for Attorney General, and Yousef Rabhi for Mayor of Ann Arbor.
Putting Benson in the governor’s seat in Lansing would mean electing a leader for Michigan that “stands alongside the UAW against corporate interests,” the union said. “She’s not afraid to stand up against the most powerful billionaires in the name of working-class Michiganders across the state.”
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