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Abdul El-Sayed’s election is good for Michigan.
Since he was elected to the Senate last week, the Democrat has already said what his top priorities will be when he enters the Senate in January, and they’re not implementing Shariah law or expanding trans healthcare.
Instead, he said he plans to represent all of his constituents in Michigan. Most of his initial priorities are common sense policies that the majority of Michiganders support.
The first priority he mentioned is ending the war in Iran, giving war powers back to Congress, and pushing for diplomacy. Fox News voter poll data shows that 3 out of 4 Michigan voters factored the war and the perceived resulting increase in living costs into their voting, and that 3 out of 5 voters support ending the war entirely.
Ending the tariff war against Canada, our long-term trade partner, is another of El-Sayed’s priorities. Michigan’s automobile industry is deeply intertwined with Canada’s, and Trump’s current tariff plan includes a 50% tariff on all Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts, and steel, and is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, just two days before El-Sayed takes office. He plans to work to reestablish our trade partnership with Canada, which benefits both countries.
El-Sayed also said he hopes to address Michigan’s healthcare costs, but his immediate plan isn’t to pass universal healthcare for all, a policy that many conservatives oppose. It is, however, to pause the Medicaid cuts that will go into effect in 2027. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about 200,000 Michiganders will lose their health insurance coverage on Jan. 1, 2027 — 8% of the 1 in 4 Michiganders who rely on Medicaid. El-Sayed wants to prevent these cuts from going into effect until better options are available.
Most of his other priorities are also good for Michiganders and widely popular.
For example, El-Sayed supports overturning Citizens United v. FEC, a 2010 Supreme Court case that allows unlimited corporate spending on campaigns. Elections are supposed to represent people’s views — not companies’ — so large organizations shouldn’t be able to sway elections by pouring millions into the candidate who promises to benefit their company.
The majority of Michiganders agree: Michigan Ballot Proposal 2, a similar but more limited policy which would prohibit “certain regulated electric and gas utilities, government contractors and certain associated individuals and organizations from making specified campaign contributions,” passed with more than 80% support in last week’s election.
In addition to ending the war in Iran, El-Sayed wants the U.S. to step away from all foreign entanglements, especially in the Middle East. He has called for the U.S. to stop funding “forever wars” in the region and to tie percentage increases in funding for the Department of War to an equivalent percentage increase in funding for the Department of Education, making education and literacy a priority. This type of policy could result in Hillsdale’s public schools receiving more funding, improving the Michigan education system as a whole.
El-Sayed also stated that he wants to implement a moratorium on data centers, a bipartisan view that his Republican opponent Mike Rogers also held. This moratorium would pause current data center construction until a more secure regulatory process could be established.
Some of his policies, like eventual universal healthcare for all, do make some Michiganders nervous.
Universal healthcare is a radical policy, albeit rooted in the idea of every person possessing inherent dignity. But this policy won’t pass anytime soon, considering that even a large segment of the Democratic Party is opposed to it. Even if it does get passed, it won’t be forced on Michiganders who don’t want it — El-Sayed’s proposed policy doesn’t involve banning employer-provided private insurance.
El-Sayed isn’t just good for Michigan because of his policies, but because he is a representative of the people. He hasn’t taken any corporate PAC money and so is not beholden monetarily to any corporations that might pressure him into voting for one bill or another. Eighty-eight percent of his campaign finances came from individual contributions in a grassroots campaign that knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors across Michigan — contributions that he has promised to honor by voting for policies that will benefit Michiganders, not corporations.
His transparency shows he will fight for Michiganders. Throughout the campaign process, he was approachable to constituents and media, and even now as an elected senator, he was seen at the tailgate of his former college, University of Michigan, last week.
Elected officials should represent their constituents. If there’s one thing El-Sayed has proven, it is that he will be easily accessible. If you disagree with his policies, call his office or send them an email.
But regardless of how your views differ from his, a senator who is completely independent from corporations, actively fighting for Michiganders, and available to the public is good for Michigan.
Becca Nuar is a junior studying politics.
