El-Sayed releases tax return ahead of primary

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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed released his 2025 federal tax return Wednesday, following weeks of pressure from primary rival U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.).

The move comes amid a transparency fight that has consumed the final weeks of one of the country’s most closely watched Senate primaries. Stevens has repeatedly demanded that El-Sayed release his tax returns and had highlighted his request for a filing extension that would have pushed his personal financial disclosure past the Aug. 4 primary.

The winner of next month’s contest will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican, in November for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters (D) of Bloomfield Township.

According to the return, a joint filing with his wife, Sarah Jukaku, El-Sayed’s reported total income for 2025 was $686,069 and adjusted gross income was $675,246. The couple reported $130,749 in wages, $262,299 in capital gains and $292,881 in additional income reported on Schedule 1.

They reported a total federal tax of $134,942 and a refund of $6,122. The campaign said the capital gains tax stems from the sale of a property that Jukaku’s parents had bought in their names, along with their children, and the additional income is from El-Sayed’s podcast and Jukaku’s medical practice.

El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health director, had faced criticism after seeking an extension to file his personal financial disclosure until Aug. 13 — after the primary — which he attributed to overseas property held by his wife’s family. At the candidates’ first one-on-one debate July 7 on WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids, Stevens said she had already released her own returns and pressed El-Sayed on why he had not, telling voters she is “the only one running for United States Senate in Michigan who is not a millionaire.”

The return does not establish net worth, which measures assets rather than income. El-Sayed’s June 2025 financial disclosure estimated his net worth at between $580,000 and $1.7 million.

Stevens’ 2025 tax return shows an adjusted gross income of $169,970.

Stevens volunteered her tax returns ahead of Tax Day earlier this year — which is not required by law — and has introduced legislation that would require members of Congress to publicly disclose their returns. House records show Stevens has requested extensions to delay her annual financial disclosure filings every year since she entered Congress, even as her campaign criticized El-Sayed for delaying his.

Stevens ripped El-Sayed on Wednesday, stating his Wednesday release of documents did not go far enough.

“Abdul promised he’d make all of his finances public (like I did months ago). Today he released a single form—still no full tax returns or personal financial disclosure,” she wrote on social media. “Why is Abdul working so hard to hide this from voters?”

El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner told 6 News that the physician will release his personal financial disclosure, as required of all senators and candidates, ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. He filed an extension request, which is legal and often routine, and his deadline is Aug. 13.

The primary narrowed to a two-person contest after state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) of Royal Oak suspended her campaign July 5. El-Sayed, endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), has run as a progressive focused on removing corporate money from politics. Stevens, endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Peters himself, has accepted corporate money, including from Axon’s PAC and Palentir lobbyists. Both companies are contractors for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Outside groups have spent nearly $50 million to advertise in support of Stevens or against El-Sayed, according to the advertising-tracking firm AdImpact. El-Sayed, by comparison, had $2.3 million come in on his behalf, mostly by Fighting For Michigan PAC.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Bernie Sanders

Chuck Schumer

Gary Peters

Haley Stevens

Mike Rogers

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