Michigan Senate Democratic primary too close to call: 5 takeaways

The marquee race for the Democratic Senate nod in Michigan was too close to call early Wednesday morning, stretching out a primary race that’s spotlit Democrats’ fight for the future of the party. 

Abdul El-Sayed was leading Rep. Haley Stevens (D) by roughly 2 points as of 2 am EDT, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). 

The Michigan Senate race is perhaps this cycle’s biggest front in the battle for the direction of the Democratic Party, after its far-left faction notched notable primary wins and ousted some longtime lawmakers earlier this year.  

Though some in the party are looking to progressive or democratic socialist figures for new leadership after the party’s 2024 losses, mainstream Democrats fret that candidates like El-Sayed will be tough sells to general election voters in November’s midterms.  

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s primaries solidified matchups in several must-win House races in Michigan, Virginia and Washington. And President Trump’s preferred candidates cleared their primaries in closely watched races for governor in Kansas and Michigan, where the sitting Democratic governors are being termed out. 

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s primary elections: 

Marquee Michigan Senate race too close to call  

In Michigan, El-Sayed was leading the Democratic Senate primary with 49 percent to Stevens’s 47 percent, as of 2 a.m. EDT.  

Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her campaign in early July amid low polling numbers, had notably pulled in 4 percent of the vote.  

The winner will take on Rep. Mike Rogers (R), the Trump-backed Republican nominee who narrowly lost the 2024 Senate election to Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and was unopposed in the GOP contest.  

Stevens told supporters that she was “feeling good” about the race as she acknowledged the vote count could continue into Wednesday.  

“We knew that this was going to be a close race. And that’s exactly what we’ve got,” Stevens said just before 1 a.m. EDT. 

El-Sayed also acknowledged that it “takes a long time to count some votes in Michigan,” but turned attention toward the general as he railed against Rogers. 

“Whatever happens tonight, we have a responsibility to assure that we unite to make sure that Mike Rogers never sees the inside of the U.S. Senate,” he said. 

The Michigan Senate seat, being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D), is a must-win for both parties in the high-stakes fight for the upper chamber. 

Cook Political Report rates it a “toss up” contest. DDHQ predicts that it leans toward Democrats – but, if Republicans win this race, they jump to........

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