AAUP President Todd Wolfson Explains Endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed and Future Political Plans

In a transcript of the August 24 episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon, AAUP president Todd Wolfson detailed why the association endorsed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan primary, citing his agreement with the union’s blueprint for a fully funded public higher-education system, his familial connection to an AAUP local at Eastern Michigan University, and strong endorsement from AAUP members and the AFT Michigan affiliate, which reported roughly 80 % support.

Wolfson explained that the AAUP, representing roughly 60,000 faculty and staff, has historically stayed out of politics but now sees active endorsement as necessary to protect higher education from Republican attacks. He outlined future endorsement criteria: candidates must support free public higher education, robust research funding, debt elimination, and must not denigrate the sector, with a focus on swing-state federal races and safe-district champions.

Wolfson also described the union’s broader vision of universal, tuition-free public higher education, fully funded HBCUs and minority-serving institutions, and a strong federal-university research partnership. He urged educators nationwide to join the AAUP’s effort to safeguard democracy through education.