“I really love how he's more focused towards the younger generation since we are up and coming,” Squier said. “We are the ones that are more likely to sway the voting and (what) the outcomes of the votes are.”

El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate seeking to replace Sen. Gary Peters (D - Mich.) in November, narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens for the nomination in August. The former public health official has pitched a progressive campaign centered around keeping corporate money out of politics, Medicare for all and combating the Trump administration.

Electability has been a sore point for the El-Sayed campaign, with critics saying progressive policies aren't enough to guarantee a much-needed Democratic win in Michigan after the state flipped for President Donald Trump in 2024. 

To those concerns, El-Sayed points to Michigan's youth.

“I believe that if you build a politics that young people want to be a part of, that young people will be a part of that politics,” El-Sayed said. 

MSU students exceeded the MSU Union ballroom's 300-person capacity at El-Sayed's town hall on Friday, while around 4,000 viewers tuned in to the livestream hosted by More Perfect University. At an MSU rally in April, over 600 MSU students showed up to see El-Sayed, with over 37,000 people watching on leftist commentator Hasan Piker's livestream.

“I love what he stands for,” communication sophomore Ryan Stapleman said. “(His platform) is really what we need, not only from a Michigan standpoint, but for the U.S. entirely.”

Social relations and policy major Ethan Smith appreciated El-Sayed’s specificity amongst other moderate politicians who “talk in broad terms.” 

“If his progressive message works here in Michigan, in a purple state, it can work truly anywhere,” Smith said. 

Smith has faith in El-Sayed's electability, but said young voters, like students, will need to show up in November to see him win. 

“(We need) to show (politicians) that we can be the change that we actually want to see,” Smith said. “If these young people here and if young people across campus who aren't here today show up we can make a profound change.”

El-Sayed was joined by William Lawrence, the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, who has similarly run a youth-powered campaign ahead of the November election. Canvassers for his campaign knocked on over 100,000 doors in the Greater Lansing area ahead of the August primary. 

Before taking the stage, Lawrence circled the room of attendees, making conversation and taking photos with students. Lawrence reiterated calls for MSU students to vote in November, encouraging them to register in East Lansing and to vote early.

“Help yourself, help your family, help society,” Lawrence said. 

While the attendees largely consisted of MSU students, several students served as staffers working the event to support El-Sayed’s campaign, clad in “Students for Abdul” t-shirts. In a press scrum after the town hall, El-Sayed stressed the importance of these individuals to create a “sustained conversation with young folks.” 

“Being able to continue to have that conversation with young folks across these campuses about the ability to engage in this election to really change the future of where our politics could be headed, that's deeply empowering,” El-Sayed said.