Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate win highlights Indian family connections
The Democrat senator-elect described himself as an honorary Indian following his victory in the Michigan US Senate race.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won the US Senate race in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Following his victory on November 3, a video of the senator-elect discussing his connection to India has resurfaced on social media, according to reports by Hindustan Times and Firstpost.
El-Sayed, whose parents are Egyptian immigrants, has been married to psychiatrist Sarah Jukaku for 20 years. Jukaku's family has ancestral ties to Bhatkal, a coastal town in Karnataka. Her father, Dr Tayeb Jukaku, is a nephrologist who moved to the US in the 1980s after studying in Bengaluru.
In a podcast interview recorded two months ago, El-Sayed referred to himself as an "honorary Indian." He noted that his visits to the country helped him appreciate the patience found in Indian culture. He also joked that being married into a South Indian family for two decades might make him "more Indian than Arab."
The senator-elect defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the election. El-Sayed also addressed political opponents, noting that Vice President JD Vance is constitutionally required to swear him in during January.
Jukaku's grandfather, Jukaku Shamshuddin, was a lawyer and served as deputy minister for finance in the former Mysore State. The couple, who live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has two daughters, Emmalee and Serene.