Abdul El-Sayed is one of the most talked about political personalities after his historic victory in the 2026 US midterm elections. Apart from politics, he also has a lot of attention on social media because of his connection with India. A video of newly elected US Senator speaking about his Indian connection went viral and Indians celebrated it (many of them were even crying).
El-Sayed (a Democrat) defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s senate race. He becomes the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
His election has received international attention but his personal connection to India adds another interesting dimension to his public profile. His wife Dr Sarah Jukaku’s family is from Bhatkal (a coastal town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka).
El-Sayed has said that he feels part of a South Indian family after marrying Sarah. In conversation he joked about how years of marriage had made him Indian (traditions and culture). He joked that maybe he was more Indian than Arab.
The politician’s comments have been picked up by Indian social media users (particularly from Karnataka) who are proud to see Bhatkal getting international attention after his electoral success.
Another funny story from his personal life has also gone viral: El-Sayed said his Egyptian uncle asked him why he married an Indian woman when there were millions of Egyptian women available to him.
“I’ve been married to a South Indian family for 20 years. I might be more Indian than Arab..Everybody likes desis more than Arabs,” jokes newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed on his Indian family https://t.co/HXgLxeDrwk
— Tapas Ranjan Nath (@nathtapas) November 5, 2026
El-Sayed responded humorously by telling his uncle that there were more than a billion Indians so his choice was statistically correct. The exchange has become another talking point on social media.
Sarah’s family background has also been of interest. Her father Dr Jukaku Tayeb is a nephrologist from Bhatkal who graduated from Bangalore Medical College in 1976 and moved to the US. Her grandfather JH Shamsuddin Jukaku was a lawyer and politician who was deputy minister in the erstwhile Mysore State government.
Sarah and El-Sayed met while studying at the University of Michigan and married in May 2006. They have two daughters and live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
El-Sayed’s victory has therefore been a cause for celebration for his wife’s extended family and people of Bhatkal. His political journey may be American public life but marriage has given him a strong connection with Indian culture and Karnataka.
While his victory is sparking conversations around the world, his comments about India have given social media users another reason to celebrate the connection between the US and India.
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