Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, peers up at an attendee during a "It Shouldn't Be This Hard" campaign event held in Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium on the campus of Central Michigan University, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. El-Sayed answered a number of questions from community members, touching on topics such as higher education, data centers and several of his key campaign promises. (CM Life | Cristin Coppess)
