Abdul El-Sayed — Reading Letters of Support from All Over the Country | Abdul for Senate

We've been out on the campaign trail now for more than a year and every day we get letters from supporters all over Michigan. Frankly, all over the country. We've even gotten some from other parts of the world. I want to share some of this with you because, you know, some of these letters, they they share stories and perspectives I think are just really important to hear about what this movement means to people. Here's one from Sister Paula. I'm with you 100%. I'm a vowed religious so I'm not allowed any money to make a political contribution but you can be sure that you are uppermost in our prayers here at the monastery. Blessings on your good work. May God give you the strength and courage you need. Amen. Thank you sister Paula. This one is this one's from Australia. Hi team Elsed. My name is Spencer. I'm 16 and I'm writing to you from Wallangong, Australia. I've been following the Michigan Senate race over here and I really like Abdul's message. I think his focus on making sure the government actually works for regular people is awesome and it's cool to see a candidate who's principled about his policies. I love how progressive he is and I think he is exactly what Michigan needs and deserves. I was wondering if the team ever sends out campaign materials to supporters who live internationally. I'm trying to get a collection going for my wall and I'd love to have some stickers, a bumper sticker or a lapel pin if you have any to spare. I can assure you we've sent our friend Spencer um some materials. So Spencer, thank you man. This one is from Darius. Hi Abdul, we haven't met, but I have seen your social media clips and your drive to uphold our Constitution and restore American values as a nation. Thank you. This is coming from from Fresno from Darius. All right, this one's from Anthony. Hi Abdul for US Senate. I like your platform. Can my drop in the bucket defeat Apac? We'll see. I was born in Los Angeles, California in 1937. I'm a self-employed writer, an excellent one, and a retired public health MD. My kind of guy. Please let me know any polling results. My mentor was John F. Kennedy who said, "I'll be damned if I pay for a landslide." You and me both, Anthony. All right. This is um from Bob in Midland. Abdul, we spoke to each other very briefly when you were going from your car to the building at a spam Ohio meeting in Columbus, Ohio, which like the last time I was in Columbus, Ohio. Also, we should have this conversation in Midland next time. Thank you for your support of getting US universal healthcare. Hi Abdul, long live Palestine. I'm a granddaughter of a Holocaust victim and a wife of an American Ashkanazi. I left the US just before we elected Trump the first time. Here's what I have to say. My country of Poland did not exist on the map for 123 years. Let us keep the spirit of Palestine immortal. Here's one from John and Donna. Beautiful handwriting. They don't teach you to write like this anymore. Dear Dr. El Say it, thank you for running for Senate and for your values and platform. We supported Bernie Sanders and we'll be working for you. Nothing changes for the better until candidates are elected throughout the country who hold your values. Thank you for giving us hope in these dangerous times. Warmly, Donna and John. This one's from Samantha. Dear Dr. I'll say it. You have a way of making policy feel human again. That's kind. It's rare and it matters. The way you lead gives people hope. May life give you the same kindness you show others. Wishing you steadiness and success in a world that needs it. It's very kind. This one's from Jeff. I'm writing to express my sincere support for your run for the United States Senate. Your commitment to public service and your willingness to speak clearly and courageously on difficult issues stand out at a time when that kind of leadership is badly needed. I recognize that it takes a thick skin to endure the criticism and smears that often come with taking a principled position, especially on something as serious and consequential as the ongoing genocide in Gaza. While others may try to distort or attack your views, there are many of us who see them for what they are, a reflection of moral clarity and a deep concern for human dignity. The American Senate would benefit gratefully from more leaders who approach policy with compassion, integrity, and a genuine humanitarian perspective. Your voice has the potential to help shift conversations toward justice and accountability, and I believe that matters immensely. Thank you for your courage and your continued dedication to serving others. PS. Could you sign the card and return it in the envelope? I would really appreciate it. Which I signed. Dear Abdul, Sara, and family, we are Tim and Christine and have volunteered with you since your town hall in Chelsea. You might not recognize our names, but maybe our faces as we've taken some photos with you and we show up at your events. This isn't important. We don't need anything from you because we're all in. save your breath and energy for others. We hope that you both can find some time to relax and enjoy your family and each other during what is an extended period of incredible personal sacrifice. I thanked you, Sara, for this in one of the convention caucus rooms. And of course, you thanked me for our support. The caucus rooms at the Dem convention were incredible. We loved occupying the backdrop with shirts and signs and the call and response. Many in the audience already knew what to do. You brought the energy and messaging and we all fed off that as you hopefully fed off our enthusiasm and support. I did want to mention my dad did whatever the road scholar recruitment looked like at U of M in the 1970s and 80s and a candidate won in 1980. He was also a lecturer and developed the center for western European studies abroad program good cold war era. Christine has worked at Gift of Life Michigan for 30 years as a hisystocompatibility tech and would love to retire but has to keep working for the health insurance as we both are in our early 50s and our kids don't have jobs with insurance and are under 26. I'm a former high school Spanish and history teacher, and we likely wouldn't be volunteering if your proposals and positions weren't progressive, even though a lot of the world laughs that the US considers them progressive. Enjoy the sunlight, enjoy your girls and each other, and we'll see you soon. Tim and Christie. Appreciate you guys. Greetings, Mr. Elsa. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I recently graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor's in fisheries and wildlife management. Having grown up on a ranch in the sand hills of Nebraska, I've always had a deep connection to agricultural, wildlife, and land. Per parts of the Sand Hills are currently experiencing major fires. I have family who ranch in southern Arizona who have been experiencing ongoing and intense drought over the part of four decades. For the past two winters, there was a major lock of warm and unseasonably warm temperatures, except for this year thanks to the destabilizing polar vortex here in the upper peninsula. I'm not only deeply concerned about the climate, but ecosystem and wildlife as well. Wildlife populations have declined over 73% between 1970 and 2020. As a society, we need to make major changes in how we house, feed, and transport ourselves. I hope your win you win your Senate bid. If the House reintroduces the Recovery American Wildlife Act, I'm hoping I can count on you in your vote. Thank you to whomever reads this letter, whether it be Mr. Elsayed, a volunteer or a staffer. Thank you for being an ardent advocate for Palestine, the working class, and ecology and the environment. All I can afford is to give you $2.50 at the moment. I hope it helps. Well, I really appreciate it. So, first of all, to all of you who wrote us, I'm so grateful. You know, getting your mail um sustains us. And I got to tell you, this work is really hard. There's a lot that you give up personally and professionally to to do something like this. And a lot of folks ask me like, "What keeps you going?" And for me, it's the opportunity to get to meet with all of you. Uh to know that this is meaningful, that this is a movement that's bigger than just me, but it's about your hopes and your dreams for the future that we want to build. And the fact that people are willing to give of their time and their resources and their hope into something like this, that's the thing that sustains me. And so, knowing that there are thousands of you all over the state who want to be a part of this, you know, I'm going to give everything I possibly can. And for us, it's been a privilege to be able to give what we have. Um, and to keep giving if it means that we can build an America where folks have the basic things, the nice things that we all need and deserve. So, I just deeply appreciate all of you all who have written to us. Um, I carry your messages with me every single day and I hope that I can uh do the work that is worthy of uh the time, energy, enthusiasm, support, and hope that you're putting