US First Muslim Senator Abdul El-Sayed Has Karnataka Connection; Wife Sarah Jukaku Is Granddaughter of Former Mysore Minister

Sarah’s family traces its roots to Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada; her grandfather JH Shamsuddin Jukaku served as deputy finance minister in the erstwhile Mysore State government

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has made history by winning the Michigan Senate seat in the November 3, 2026, US midterm elections, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. His victory has also brought attention to an unexpected Indian connection: his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, is the granddaughter of a former minister in the erstwhile Mysore State government.

Sarah’s family traces its roots to Bhatkal, a coastal town in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, around 140 km north of Mangaluru. Her grandfather, JH Shamsuddin Jukaku, was a prominent lawyer, educationist and politician who served as deputy minister for finance in the Mysore State government during the 1950s.

Mysore State was formed after the princely Kingdom of Mysore acceded to independent India. It was expanded under the States Reorganisation Act on November 1, 1956, and renamed Karnataka in November 1973.

Who Was JH Shamsuddin Jukaku?

JH Shamsuddin Jukaku belonged to the Nawayath Muslim community, an old merchant community with roots in the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq. Members of the community settled in coastal towns of southern India over several centuries.

A prominent lawyer and public figure from Bhatkal, Shamsuddin was reportedly the first person from his community to qualify as a lawyer and subsequently become a minister.

He entered the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1946 and later represented the Honnavar constituency in the Mysore Legislative Assembly, winning elections in 1957 and 1962. In 1958, he became deputy minister for finance in the government led by Chief Minister BD Jatti. He subsequently served as deputy minister for electricity under Chief Minister S Nijalingappa.

Residents of Bhatkal have credited Shamsuddin with contributing to the development of the town and surrounding areas, including efforts to bring electricity and other essential infrastructure. He was also associated with Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen, a charitable trust that runs educational institutions in Bhatkal.

Mohammed Tanveer Kasarkod, a Bhatkal-based engineer familiar with the family’s history, told The American Bazaar that Shamsuddin became a lawyer at a time when access to education was limited.

For decades, a prominent junction in Bhatkal was known as Shamsuddin Circle in his honour. Although the structure at the intersection was later demolished during road development, the name continues to be associated with the former minister.

Shamsuddin died at the age of 52, leaving behind six daughters and four sons. His family subsequently moved to different parts of India, with several members settling in Bengaluru.

From Bhatkal to the United States

One of Shamsuddin’s sons, Dr Jukaku S Tayeb, moved away from Bhatkal in search of better opportunities.

A nephrologist, Tayeb graduated from Bangalore Medical College in 1976. According to The American Bazaar, he worked in Saudi Arabia before moving to the United States in the 1980s.

He completed his residency in internal medicine at Bon Secours Hospital in Michigan between 1984 and 1987, followed by a nephrology fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital from 1987 to 1989. He later established a medical practice in the Detroit area.

Sarah was born and raised in Michigan in an Indian immigrant family. Although she grew up in the United States, her father made efforts to keep his children connected to their ancestral roots by ensuring they visited Bengaluru and Bhatkal.

The family also maintained connections with Coorg, while several members of the extended family eventually settled in Bengaluru.

How Sarah Jukaku Met Abdul El-Sayed

Sarah attended the University of Michigan, where she met El-Sayed. Both were associated with the university’s Muslim Students’ Association, and the couple married in May 2006. According to The American Bazaar, Sarah was 19 and El-Sayed was 21 at the time.

Sarah went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford before earning her medical degree from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2015. She subsequently built a career in psychiatry and also held a leadership position in psychiatry at University of Michigan Health, according to the publication.

El-Sayed has spoken publicly about his connection to his wife’s Indian heritage.

At a gathering marking Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 23, he described Sarah as “desi”, a term commonly used for people of South Asian heritage, and said she was from the other side of the Partition line, The American Bazaar reported.

In another interview, he spoke humorously about his familiarity with South Indian culture after nearly two decades of marriage.

“Listen, I've been married in a South Indian family for 20 years, like... I am well inducted now. You know, I might be more Indian than I am Arab,” he said.

On another occasion, he described himself as being surrounded by desi women, referring to his wife and their two daughters.

Bhatkal Family Roots Draw Attention After Historic US Election

El-Sayed’s election has brought renewed attention to the Jukaku family and its roots in Bhatkal. While his political career has been built in the United States, his marriage to Sarah connects him to a family with a legacy in public service in post-Independence India.

The story links a historic milestone in American politics with the journey of a family that moved from a coastal Karnataka town to the United States across generations.