Who is Sarah Jukaku? Meet Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed's wife whose family has roots in Karnataka's Bhatkal

While El-Sayed's political journey has brought him into the national spotlight, his wife Sarah has an academic and professional background of her own, spanning the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford and Columbia University.

As Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed makes history as the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, attention has also turned to his family, particularly his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, an American-born psychiatrist whose family traces its roots to Bhatkal in Karnataka.

El-Sayed, 42, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in one of the closely watched contests of the November 3, 2026, US midterm elections, keeping the Senate seat in Democratic hands. He had earlier secured the Democratic nomination after defeating Representative Haley Stevens in a closely fought primary.

While El-Sayed's political journey has brought him into the national spotlight, his wife Sarah has an academic and professional background of her own, spanning the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford and Columbia University.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

Dr Sarah Jukaku is a Michigan-based psychiatrist and the wife of Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed. They live in Ann Arbor with their two daughters, Emmalee and Serene.

Sarah was born and raised in Michigan, but her family roots trace to Bhatkal in coastal Karnataka. Her grandfather, Jukaku Shamshuddin, was a lawyer and public figure who served as deputy finance minister in the former Mysore State government.

Sarah studied sociology and Near Eastern studies at the University of Michigan, earned a master's degree from the University of Oxford, and graduated from Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2015. She later pursued a career in psychiatry.

Sarah and Abdul El-Sayed met while studying at the University of Michigan. Their relationship was featured in a 2006 article in the university's student newspaper, The Michigan Daily.

Sarah has worked in mental healthcare in Michigan and is associated with a private psychiatric practice in Ann Arbor.

According to multiple reports, Sarah's family has connection to India, particularly the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal.

Who is Sarah Jukaku?

Dr Sarah Jukaku is a psychiatrist based in Michigan. According to El-Sayed's campaign website, the couple lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with their two daughters, Emmalee and Serene.

Sarah was born and raised in Michigan, but her family's roots can be traced to Bhatkal, a town around 140 km from Mangaluru in Karnataka.

Her grandfather, Jukaku Shamshuddin, was a prominent lawyer and public figure in the region. He also served as deputy finance minister in the erstwhile Mysore State government during the 1950s under Chief Minister BD Jatti.

Sarah's father, Dr Tayeb Jukaku, grew up in Bhatkal and studied medicine in Bengaluru before moving overseas. After spending some time in the Middle East, he settled in Michigan in the 1980s and established a career as a nephrologist, a medical specialist who treats kidney diseases.

Despite raising his family in the United States, Tayeb ensured that his children remained connected to their Indian heritage.

Sarah Jukaku's education and medical career

Sarah pursued her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, where she studied sociology and Near Eastern studies. She subsequently earned a master's degree from the University of Oxford.

She later attended Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, graduating in 2015, before pursuing a career in psychiatry.

She has worked in mental healthcare in Michigan and is associated with private psychiatric practice in Ann Arbor.

Her academic journey across three prominent institutions in the US and the UK preceded her career in mental health.

How did Sarah meet Abdul El-Sayed?

Sarah and Abdul El-Sayed met while studying at the University of Michigan.

Their relationship was featured in a 2006 article published by the university's student newspaper, The Michigan Daily.

Speaking about his approach to relationships in the interview, El-Sayed said: "I was going to meet one girl and I was going to marry her."

"In some senses, I feel like that's the purest form of a relationship with someone. It cuts out all the B.S.," he added.