From Bhatkal to US Senate spotlight: Elected Abdul El-Sayed’s wife Sarah’s Karnataka roots

As Democrat Abdul El-Sayed makes history by becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, has brought a little-known Karnataka connection into the spotlight, TOI reported.

A practising psychiatrist, Sarah was born into an Indian-immigrant Muslim family in Michigan, with roots tracing back to the coastal town of Bhatkal in Karnataka, located roughly 140km from Mangaluru.

Her family boasts a prominent history in the region. Her grandfather, Jukaku Shamshuddin, served as deputy minister for finance in Mysore State under then chief minister BD Jatti. Widely regarded as the first lawyer from the Bhatkal area, he is remembered for driving local development, including bringing electricity to the town.


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Sarah's father, Dr Tayeb Jukaku, is a nephrologist who completed his MBBS in Bengaluru prior to immigrating to the US. He has also been active with the Islamic Society of North America, serving on its founders' committee.

Despite Sarah growing up in the United States, her father consciously ensured his children remained connected to their ancestral heritage by arranging visits to Bengaluru and Bhatkal. Although much of the extended family has since settled in Bengaluru, Sarah's immediate family remains primarily in the US.

Sarah met El-Sayed while they were students at the University of Michigan, where both were active members of the Muslim Students' Association. The couple tied the knot in May 2006 and have two daughters, Emmalee and Serene.

Sarah earned degrees in sociology and Near East studies at the University of Michigan before completing a master's at the University of Oxford. She subsequently completed her medical training at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons before building her career in psychiatry.

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Her family's ties to Karnataka have also surfaced in El-Sayed's own commentary about his marital connection to South India. "I've been married in a South Indian family for 20 years... I'm well inducted now. You know, I might be more Indian than I'm Arab," he remarked in a previous interview.

Sarah offered a glimpse into their dynamic during the election campaign as well. Speaking at a campaign rally, she humorously told the audience, "Nobody tells him what to do, except me!", eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Following El-Sayed's historic election victory, the Bhatkal family's ties to American politics have drawn renewed interest, weaving a Karnataka family's legacy into the narrative of a historic US Senate election.

(With inputs from agencies)