Catholics Vote Common Good Endorses Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate in Michigan

For Immediate Release: October 6, 2026
Contact: Denise Murphy McGraw – denise@votecommongood.com

Catholics Vote Common Good today announced its endorsement of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for the United States Senate in Michigan, citing his commitment to addressing the economic and healthcare challenges facing working families and building a government that works for people.

El-Sayed, a physician and former executive director of the Detroit Health Department, is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. His campaign has emphasized getting money out of politics, easing the financial pressures on working people and expanding access to healthcare.

The endorsement comes as El-Sayed has also faced political attacks focused on his Muslim faith.

Catholics Vote Common Good said the endorsement reflects the values at the heart of Catholic social teaching and the Beatitudes: standing with the poor and vulnerable, showing mercy, pursuing justice and peace, and recognizing the dignity of every person.

“Right wing Catholics and others on the far right have worked overtime to turn Abdul El-Sayed into some sort of boogeyman. Catholics Vote Common Good knows better,” said Denise Murphy McGraw, National Co-Chair of Catholics Vote Common Good. “We know he is exactly the kind of leader who has focused on the issues our country needs to confront right now: the affordability crisis, access to quality healthcare, the crushing cost of prescription drugs and housing, and an economy that too often leaves working families struggling to get by.

“As our American Pope Leo XIV says, ‘Health cannot be a luxury for the few.’ That is not a partisan talking point. It reflects a fundamental Catholic belief in the dignity of every human being and our responsibility to care for one another. At a time when some are trying to divide Americans by religion, Abdul is focused on whether families can afford a doctor, their prescriptions, groceries and a place to live. Those are exactly the conversations our country needs to be having,” said Victoria Kovari, Chair of Michigan Catholics Vote Common Good.

Pope Leo made that statement in March while discussing healthcare and human dignity, calling universal health coverage a “moral imperative” and emphasizing that healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable.

Catholics Vote Common Good also rejected attempts to use El-Sayed’s Muslim faith as a political weapon.

“Our Catholic faith does not call us to fear our neighbors because they worship differently than we do,” McGraw continued. “It calls us to recognize their dignity. Catholics can disagree vigorously about policy and politics while standing unequivocally against religious bigotry. The measure of a leader should be what they stand for, who they serve and what they are prepared to do to improve people’s lives.”

A physician and public health leader, El-Sayed has spent much of his career working in public health and government. He has described his Senate campaign as an extension of that work, arguing that government should deliver tangible results for the people it serves. His campaign platform includes Medicare for All, affordable housing, clean air and water, education, workers’ rights and reducing the role of corporate money in politics.

Catholics Vote Common Good believes Catholics have both an opportunity and a responsibility to participate fully in American democracy and to bring the principles of Catholic social teaching, including human dignity, justice, compassion and solidarity, into public life.

Catholics Vote Common Good proudly endorses Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for the United States Senate in Michigan.

About Catholics Vote Common Good
Catholics Vote Common Good is a national progressive faith organization that brings Catholics from throughout the country together to put faith into action in public life. Grounded in Catholic social teaching, the organization engages Catholics in civic life and works to advance human dignity, justice, compassion and solidarity.

For more information, visit CatholicsVoteCommonGood.com.