Abdul El-Sayed talks Michigan U.S. Senate race ahead of primaries

Michigan's primary is Aug. 4, and Democrats will choose between Congresswoman Haley Stevens and former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, in the U.S. Senate race. 

As part of CBS News Detroit's 2026 election coverage, the station invited Dr. El-Sayed to sit down with Rachelle Graham, CBS News Detroit anchor. 

CBS News Detroit also reached out to Rep. Stevens, but she declined the interview.

Rachelle Graham: You have been in the local, national headlines a ton lately. As we mentioned, this is one of the most closely watched races across the country. At last check, looks like you're down about seven points against your primary candidate. Noticed you were here campaigning heavily in our capital this weekend with Bernie Sanders, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC. 

I wanted to ask you — they're definitely influential leaders to many within the Democratic Party, but we have to mention, to some, they're more polarizing. They're more divisive. How do you weigh the political upside of an endorsement from a Bernie, from an AOC, versus the risk that you could turn off more moderate Democrats?

Abdul El-Sayed: Are they speaking to the issues that everyday Michiganders are worried about? I've been up and down the state; most people don't walk around thinking, "Where do I stand on the left-right spectrum?" Most people walk around thinking, "How am I going to afford my groceries? How am I going to pay for my rent? Can I ever afford a home? What am I going to do if I get sick?" And these are folks who have been talking about real solutions to those problems for a very long time. 

They've also been talking about the reason why we don't get those solutions is because of the amount of money in politics. Money coming in from corporations and special interests. As we've seen in this election, $50 million against me from shady PACs. We don't even know who's funding them, and that's been the central issue in our politics. I'm running to get money out of politics, put money in our pockets, and pass Medicare for All, and I think Michiganders could use some of that, and Bernie and AOC have been talking about those issues for a long time.

RG: Since you just mentioned that money, let's elaborate on that. You've argued that corporate money has way too much of a place in Washington. It seems to be one of your biggest criticisms of your opponent, Haley Stevens. How do you believe your approach to campaign fundraising is different, and why should Michiganders care?

AES: Yeah, I mean, $50 million. You've probably seen the attack ads by now. You've seen the attack ads, you've seen all the ads for my opponent. Their campaign didn't pay for those. They were paid for by outside organizations: AIPAC, that wants to send our money abroad to drop bombs on other people instead of investing it here in schools, corporations who want to know that they're going to get a quid pro quo handshake deal when that opponent is in office, if they're in office.

And so, you think about DTE, for example, they raise our rate faster than in 46 other states. They've given my opponent a sum total of more than $37,000 to run her campaigns. Do you think that doesn't come with her turning the other way when you lose your electricity for five days? That's the reason that our groceries, our utilities, our car notes, are all so much more expensive. They buy the election campaigns for politicians, and those politicians turn around, and they do the legislation that's good for business rather than it's good for the rest of us. 

So I just don't play that game. I'm standing for working people. It's the reason we've been endorsed by the UAW, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Nurses Union, Working Families Party. People coming together to ask how do we build a politics of the people, by the people, and for the people, rather than of the corporations, by the special interests, and for the billionaires.

RG: I know you're very strong in that correlation and perceived conflict of interest. Another focus of your campaign, we heard about it back in your run for Governor — Medicare for All. I think I've heard you describe it as "from cradle to grave coverage." Critics argue it would significantly raise taxes, so what would you say — can you kind of lay out your vision plan for Medicare for All and how it would actually help the average middle-class family?

AES: Yeah, well, think about this. One in every five dollars spent in the whole economy spent on healthcare. Every single one of those dollars comes out of our back pocket, and for all that money, we get a healthcare system that drops us at every turn. The average deductible is what? $4,000 for a family of four? That's what's putting us into bankruptcy. $225 billion in medical debt, that's more than the GDP of half the states in this country. 

We don't have to live like that, so imagine we paid less for healthcare that didn't leave us if we turned 26, or got married, or got divorced, or got a job, or lost a job, or turned 65? Imagine you had it without copays or deductibles, and imagine it was there for you from the moment you were born to the moment you expire, hopefully after a 120-year life in your sleep. That's what we could have if we were able to get the middle man out of the way, and right now, corporations like Blue Cross Blue Shield, HAP, they're the middle man in this system. We don't really need them. We could do it better without them, but they exist to make money for their CEOs, and I just don't think we need that.

RG: We have less than a minute left, but I want to acknowledge one more thing. Those paying attention to this race have seen a couple big headlines lately, one that claims the history of disrespecting women, and then others, I'm sure you've seen, your campaign's fully aware — accusations that Republicans are funding the campaign because they think it'll help Mike Rogers in November. I want to give you a moment to acknowledge those accusations, and then what do you say to Democratic voters worried about the chances in November if you come out on top in August?

AED: Well, I'll just say this. Poll after poll says that I'm the most electable in November. And you want to know who Republicans are really supporting? The two biggest donors to the Super PACs for supporting Haley Stevens are Republican donors. The last thing I'll say is this: my work has been about protecting and empowering women and children. The super PAC that is giving you these ads, that is going after my character, that's a Super PAC that wants to send your money abroad to arm a foreign government to kill women and children to the tune of tens of thousands, so if we're talking about women and children and who stands with them, I would rather keep our money here to invest in them here, provide clinics here and good schools here rather than send it over there. And that's why they're spending $30 million — a record — to go after my character, and support the other candidate.

RG: I know you've been at this for 15 months, better or for worse, two weeks to go. Dr. Abdul El- Sayed, thank you for your time.

AES: We're grateful for the opportunity.