Karnataka Connection to Michigan’s New Senator Abdul El-Sayed Through Wife’s Family
Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat elected to the US Senate from Michigan, has family links to coastal Karnataka through his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, whose family traces its roots to Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.
El-Sayed, 42, defeated former Congressman Mike Rogers, securing 52% of the vote. He will succeed retiring Senator Gary Peters.
Sarah is the daughter of Dr Tayeb Jukaku, a nephrologist originally from Bhatkal. Her grandfather, J H Shamsuddin Jukaku, served as Deputy Finance Minister of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore. El-Sayed and Sarah met at the University of Michigan and married in 2006. The couple has two daughters.
A physician and former public health official, El-Sayed served as Detroit’s health director in 2015. During his tenure, he introduced initiatives such as providing free eyeglasses to schoolchildren and removing lead from schools.
He contested the 2018 Democratic primary for Michigan governor but lost to Gretchen Whitmer.
