Haley Stevens faces a one-on-one race for Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination after state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign on Sunday, July 5, leaving the progressive Abdul El-Sayed as her sole remaining challenger in the August 4 primary.
McMorrow announced her exit on social media, saying she was grateful for volunteers and donors who built “a campaign with zero corporate PAC dollars,” according to Politico. She did not endorse either remaining candidate but pledged to support whichever Democrat won the primary. The state senator from Royal Oak had been at or near the lead in polling earlier in the race but had fallen back considerably, registering in single digits in four polls in June, according to reporting from The Guardian.
McMorrow’s departure reshapes a race that has become a proxy battle between Democratic establishment and progressive factions. Stevens, a four-term U.S. representative, is backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and has seen roughly $32 million in outside spending from five groups supporting her candidacy, according to campaign officials cited by Politico. El-Sayed, a former Wayne County public health official, has drawn endorsements from Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen, and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the latter of whom backed him last week.
The race carries national significance as Democrats attempt to hold Michigan’s open Senate seat—being vacated by retiring senator Gary Peters—in a must-win contest for the party’s hopes of controlling the chamber. El-Sayed has made outside spending a central campaign theme, characterizing Stevens as “propped up by the establishment,” according to Politico. After McMorrow’s announcement, El-Sayed posted on social media that “we cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us” and invited McMorrow’s supporters to join his movement to oppose corporate money in politics.
Stevens did not directly appeal to McMorrow’s supporters but said she looked forward to “working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan for everyone,” according to her social media post cited by Politico. Three Democrats briefed on the matter told Politico that El-Sayed reached out to McMorrow immediately after she suspended her campaign, while Stevens texted her only after learning from the outlet that El-Sayed had already made contact.
McMorrow had earlier drawn national attention for a 2022 viral speech defending LGBTQ+ rights against Republican attacks. Her Senate campaign had attracted support from prominent Democratic senators including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, according to The Guardian. However, her political standing declined after she publicly criticized El-Sayed for campaigning in April with Hasan Piker, a leftwing streamer, drawing scrutiny from supporters who saw the criticism as a distraction from the party’s broader challenges.
Sources
- Politico — McMorrow’s suspension announcement, outside spending figures, campaign dynamics, and post-suspension contact between candidates
- The Guardian — McMorrow’s polling decline, primary dynamics, candidate positioning, and historical context
- Detroit Free Press — Confirmation of McMorrow’s polling decline and campaign suspension timing
