NOW PLAYING
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed reflected on a call he had with former President Obama after a primary win in an interview that aired on Sunday.
He described the conversation as “warm” and “inspiring.”
“I like to keep private conversations private. But it was a really warm and inspiring conversation. I’ve got to be honest with you. I never saw myself ever able to run for public office,” El-Sayed said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
El-Sayed edged out moderate Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, which sparked a string of endorsements from elected officials who previously backed his competitor.
Stevens, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) and others quickly rallied around El-Sayed in an effort to ensure the Senate seat in the Great Lakes State remains blue.
El-Sayed says he hopes Obama will soon join the fight and publicly campaign on his behalf.
When asked if he hopes the former president will stomp for him, El-Sayed said, “I really hope so.”
When reflecting on his phone call with Obama, El-Sayed said, “It was a really good conversation about what we need to do to be able to win. And obviously, this is somebody who knows a lot about winning Michigan.”
Obama won Michigan both in 2008 and 2012 while campaigning for president. He’s largely stepped out of the political spotlight but has stepped up his efforts to be more visible in helping Democrats regain Senate control, including by backing Texas state Rep. James Talarico.
He heavily supported Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D) in 2024, which marked a significant victory when she defeated former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.) in her first-ever statewide campaign.
El-Sayed, a political newcomer, says he hopes the former president can help do the same for him.
“I literally told former President Bill Clinton that at my college graduation, in which I was the senior speaker and he was the main speaker. And I then watched the next year Barack Hussein Obama run for and win the presidency. I watched him serve with a level of class, a level of elegance that we could only pine for now,” El-Sayed told moderator Kristen Welker.
“So I really enjoyed the conversation. I was grateful for his advice. It was very warm and very inviting. And I know that he knows the critical role that Michigan is going to play in holding Trump accountable, in winning back the Senate, and in building forward the future that we need,” he added.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Abdul El-Sayed Barack Obama democratic socialists Michigan Democrats Michigan Senate raceCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments: Link copiedMore Campaign News
See All
House AOC declines to endorse Hong, says she’s focused on ‘winning back’ Congress by Ashleigh Fields 45 minutes ago House / 45 minutes ago 
