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If elected, El-Sayed, a 42-year-old Democrat of Egyptian descent, would become the first Muslim US senator. “Listen, I’ve been married in a South Indian family for 20 years, like… I’m well inducted now.
You know, I might be more Indian than I’m Arab,” he said in one interview. The family is delighted to see Sarah and her husband in the political spotlight, according to her cousin. Both Muslims and non-Muslims approached him with their cases and other issues,” her cousin said. Her cousin said the family sees a lot in common between Shamshuddin and El-Sayed, particularly in their commitment to public service. “Though we’ve cousins who have been active in politics, as his immediate family, we are happy to see El-Sayed carry the qualities our grandfather stood for — especially, honesty and a desire to serve people,” he said. His proposal would allow private insurance options to continue, though he says they should become unnecessary. We are closely following the political developments, too,” he said.
Mangaluru : Michigan is one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the US midterms, with the Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers drawing national and international attention. The race has a personal resonance in coastal Karnataka: His wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, a psychiatrist, traces her roots to Bhatkal, about 140km from Mangaluru. She is the granddaughter of Jukaku Shamshuddin, who served as deputy minister for finance in Mysore State under chief minister BD Jatti. A Rhodes Scholar, El-Sayed met Sarah at the University of Michigan, where they were students. El-Sayed has also talked about his South Indian connection. Though the family traces its roots to Bhatkal, most members are now settled in Bengaluru, while Sarah’s immediate family has largely remained in the US. “Our grandfather, Jukaku Shamshuddin, made immense contributions to the development of Bhatkal, including bringing electricity to the town. He was the first lawyer from the region. The family has a strong professional background in medicine and engineering, with many members pursuing careers in these fields. El-Sayed has a medical degree and is campaigning on Medicare for All. A financial disclosure filed ahead of the Democratic primary listed a Bengaluru property owned by Sarah. “We have a WhatsApp group, and the family is really happy for the couple.