WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michigan Democrats have chosen their nominee in one of the most closely watched Senate primaries of the year.
After a tight race that stretched into Wednesday morning, progressive candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has emerged victorious. El-Sayed defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens in a race that remained too close to call until Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, El-Sayed received 48.5% of the vote, and Stevens, 47.5%.
The hard-fought primary exposed deep divisions inside the Democratic Party, pitting the party’s progressive wing against its more moderate establishment.
“You’ve got to think that Republicans are very happy with the outcome, not because they got the candidate they wanted because El-Sayed doesn’t poll as well against the Republicans, but also because Democrats are so divided. It’s going to be difficult for them to try to reunite in Michigan,” said Dr. Todd Belt, professor and director of the Political Management Master’s Program at George Washington University.
The closely watched race saw historic amounts of campaign dollars, indicative of the competing interests and vision for the Democratic Party.
“You have $55 million being spent by Stevens and $30 [million] was being spent on her behalf by AIPAC-oriented PACs,” Belt said. “And that was really an issue. It wasn’t just the fact that she was getting money, but where she was getting the money from.”
Dr. Belt believes the takeaway is less about progressive vs. moderate and more about establishment vs. non-establishment.
“You’re seeing a lot of these non-establishment candidates, no matter what their stripes are, really getting a lot of support because people are really tired about what’s going on in Washington and how it’s not making their lives better,” said Belt.
Retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., whose seat is up for grabs, endorsed Stevens in July.
“Now we have to come together and understand that whatever differences existed between Haley Stevens and Abdul, those are very small compared to the difference between Abdul and Mike Rogers, and we’re going to make sure that our Democratic Party comes together in Michigan,” said Peters.
In a statement, Stevens congratulated El-Sayed and pledged her support for his general election campaign.
“I want to congratulate Abdul El-Sayed on winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. He is a doctor, a community health official, a Rhodes Scholar, and a dedicated Michigander. I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election,” Stevens said.
“This was a thorough and rigorous campaign that brought out the full span of views within the Democratic Party — and that is why we have primaries. I am proud to have put up my hand to serve, and prouder to continue to work together to make sure this Senate seat remains blue, that we flip the United States Senate and continue the work for Michigan,” she added.
El-Sayed will face Republican and former Congressman Mike Rogers in a battleground race that could play a major role in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate.
“Abdul El-Sayed ran a very energetic campaign with significant voter turnout,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
Sen. Gillibrand also serves as the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2026 cycle.
“We’re going to take that energy and apply it against Mike Rogers on the issues of costs and the issues of what we can do for working families so they can make ends meet, so they can provide for their children, so they can pay for health care and pay for food and pay for housing, and how much the Trump administration has failed America,” said Gillibrand. “I think that is the unifying message.”
With control of the Senate potentially hanging in the balance, Michigan’s open seat is expected to be an expensive and very closely watched race in November.
