Michigan voters selected their general election nominees on Tuesday, with Abdul El-Sayed winning the state’s closely watched Democratic Senate primary and Jocelyn Benson capturing the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, while Republican John James secured his party’s pick for governor.
El-Sayed, a former public health official from Ann Arbor, defeated U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in what NBC News projects was a narrow victory in the most expensive Democratic Senate primary in U.S. history. With nearly all votes counted, El-Sayed had approximately 48.8 percent to Stevens’ 47.2 percent, according to the Associated Press.
The race pitted El-Sayed’s progressive platform—centered on Medicare for All, getting money out of politics, and criticism of U.S. support for Israel—against Stevens’ establishment-backed, moderate approach focused on manufacturing and economic pragmatism. Stevens had received nearly $65 million in outside spending, including more than $30 million from groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, while El-Sayed’s campaign emphasized grassroots organizing.
El-Sayed overcame the spending disadvantage with endorsements from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, as well as backing from the United Auto Workers union. The race reflected a broader contest between Michigan’s Democratic establishment and a rising progressive movement. Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Stevens in late July in what observers viewed as a last-ditch effort to stop El-Sayed’s momentum.
The winner will face former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee who ran unopposed in his primary, in a November general election expected to be among the most competitive Senate races in the country. Michigan’s Senate seat is critical: Democrats need to gain four seats to retake control of the chamber, and Republicans have signaled that losing Michigan would significantly damage their chances of maintaining their 53-47 majority.
In the gubernatorial race, Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state since 2019, won the Democratic primary with a commanding lead over Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. The Associated Press called the race for Benson at 9 p.m. Tuesday. She will face James, a Trump-endorsed U.S. Representative from Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, in the general election. James defeated businessman Perry Johnson and other Republicans to secure the GOP nomination.
Benson’s campaign focused on kitchen-table issues with the slogan “costs down, wages up, rights protected” and emphasized her record managing the Michigan Department of State. She reserved $10 million in airtime for general election television advertising beginning in September. James has denied the results of the 2020 presidential election and claimed at a recent Trump rally that the former president won Michigan “three times.”
Michigan’s Democratic primary turnout exceeded expectations. The state reported more than 1.3 million ballots cast through absentee or early in-person voting before Tuesday, significantly higher than the August 2024 primary. The three races will shape the general election landscape in a state that has become a perennial battleground, with Trump winning Michigan in 2016 and 2024 after losing to Joe Biden in 2020.
Sources
- NBC News — Abdul El-Sayed’s victory projection and details on the Democratic Senate primary race
- The Detroit News — El-Sayed and Stevens’ vote totals and campaign details
- Bridge Detroit — Jocelyn Benson’s Democratic gubernatorial primary victory and campaign messaging
- The Guardian — Overview of Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary and gubernatorial races
- Washington Post — John James’ Republican gubernatorial primary victory
