Michigan’s Democrat primary in U.S. Senate race narrows

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday she is suspending her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Her departure narrows the party’s primary field less than a month before the Aug. 4 election.

“Today, I’m announcing that I am suspending my campaign for United States Senate,” McMorrow said in a statement posted on social media.

McMorrow thanked volunteers, donors, campaign staff and her family for their support. She called for them to stay involved, as she plans to.

“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said. “I haven’t been shy about calling for new leadership and a better Democratic Party. I mean it. The energy is there. People are crying out for change. And we owe it to them to listen.”

McMorrow pledged to support whoever wins the Democratic primary, though she stopped short of endorsing a candidate.

“Whoever wins this primary on August 4th will have my full support,” she said. “Let’s elect Democrats up and down the ticket and show the rest of this country what it means to fight like Michigan.”

McMorrow’s departure leaves U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed as the remaining major Democratic contenders seeking to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.

Both candidates quickly put out statements praising McMorrow, while appealing to her supporters.

Stevens thanked McMorrow “for taking on the tough fights.”

“To Mallory’s supporters, and anybody still deciding who to support in this race—we’d be honored to have you on our team,” Stevens said. “It’s never been more critical that we beat Mike Rogers, win this seat in November, and take back control of the Senate.”

El-Sayed also thanked McMorrow, while using his statement to criticize Democratic party leadership.

“Thank you for the work you did for democracy,” he said. “The same party insiders she had the courage to challenge have been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate . . . We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.”

McMorrow led the Democrats in the race in fundraising, raising more than $8.6 million through the end of March, as previously reported by The Center Square.

However, recent polling showed her trailing both Stevens and El-Sayed as the Aug. 4 primary approaches. In the most-recent polls, El-Sayed continues to hold a narrow lead in the Democrat primary. According to an average of recent polls compiled by 270toWin, El-Sayed leads the Democrat field with 34% support, followed by Stevens at 31%.

McMorrow was receiving an average of only about 10% support.

While El-Sayed is the frontrunner in the race, he is seen as a political outsider. He also appears to be the Democrats’ weakest general election candidate, as previously reported by The Center Square.

Michigan voters will elect one member to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 3. The winner will fill the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, who announced in January 2025 that he will not seek reelection.

Peters, a Democrat, said at the time that after decades in public office, he was ready to step aside and “turn over the reins.”

The election for the open seat is drawing national attention, as Michigan remains one of the most closely-divided states politically. The state is also often seen as a bellwether for election outcomes nationally.

In 2024, Michigan’s U.S. Senate race was decided by less than half a percentage point, when U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin narrowly defeated former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers. On the Republican side, the party leadership and funding is once again rallying around Rogers.

The outcome of Michigan’s Senate race will play a role in determining which party controls the 120th Congress. Of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, 33 are up for regular election in 2026, along with two special elections. Democrats currently hold 13 of the seats on the ballot, while Republicans hold 22.