Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary, Setting Up November Showdown

November, here he comes!

With former Rep. Mike Rogers running unopposed in the Republican primary, the spotlight shifted almost entirely to a fiercely contested Democratic showdown between physician Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens.

The race exposed competing visions for the Democratic Party’s future. Stevens consolidated support from figures in Washington and moderate Democrats across Michigan, while El-Sayed energized progressives and grassroots activists with a campaign centered on political reform.

As Election Day approached, polling and prediction markets consistently pointed to El-Sayed holding a narrow edge. With NBC News officially calling the race, those projections proved accurate. Michigan also saw a surge in voter participation, with hundreds of thousands more ballots cast in 2026 than in 2024. That increased turnout helped propel El-Sayed to victory by just over 14,000 votes.

A month before the primary, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her own Senate campaign and, as of last night, endorsed El-Sayed as he maintained a slim lead over Stevens.

“I’m proud to give Abdul my full endorsement and support as we head to November together as a unified party,” McMorrow said in a statement.

With the primary now settled, Democrats head into November united behind Abdul El-Sayed as they prepare for a general election matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, who was defeated in Michigan’s 2024 U.S. Senate race by Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

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