LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate, narrowing the Democratic primary to a two-way race between U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health official Abdul El-Sayed.
In a video posted to social media, McMorrow said she was ending her bid with “a deep, deep sense of gratitude” for her volunteers, donors and staff, and framed the move as a redirection rather than a retreat. “I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” she said, adding that she plans to keep pushing for new leadership within the Democratic Party. You can watch her full announcement here: McMorrow Facebook announcement
The decision leaves Stevens and El-Sayed to compete for the right to face Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers in November for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, a race both parties see as pivotal to control of the chamber. McMorrow’s name will remain on the Aug. 4 primary ballot, and she did not endorse either of her former rivals, though she said whoever wins “will have my full support” against Rogers.
Both remaining candidates quickly weighed in. Abdul El-Sayed praised McMorrow for showing what it looks like to fight back against a politics that rigs the system against too many of us, and said that despite policy disagreements, he never doubted she would fight for a better future for their daughters.
He also took aim at party insiders, saying they’ve been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate, and pointed to roughly $30 million spent trying to drown out his and McMorrow’s campaigns, money he said is now being turned against him.
“I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All,” he said. “We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.”
Haley Stevens struck a more collegial note, saying “anyone who raises their hand to serve the people of Michigan and puts forward thoughtful ideas for how they would lead earns my respect.” She called McMorrow an important voice in both the Senate race and the state Legislature on policies benefiting Michigan children and families, and said she looks forward to working with her in the future.
Stevens added that she’ll spend the final month of the primary making her case as “the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power.”
What this means if you’ve already voted
Michigan’s early and absentee voting is already underway, so some voters may have already cast a ballot for McMorrow before her announcement. According to the Michigan Secretary of State, voters do have options, but the window is closing, and depends on how the ballot was submitted:
- If your absentee ballot has already been fed into a tabulator, it cannot be changed.
- If you returned an absentee ballot but it has not yet been tabulated, you can spoil it and request a new one until 5 p.m. on the second Friday before the election.
- If you haven’t yet returned your absentee ballot, you can spoil it and get a replacement by mail until 5 p.m. the Friday immediately before the election.
- You can spoil and receive a new ballot in person at your local clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the day before the election.
- If you vote at an early voting site and insert your ballot into a tabulator there, that vote is final and cannot be spoiled or changed.
Voters with questions about their specific ballot status should contact their local clerk’s office directly. Full details are available at michigan.gov/sos.
