Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer threw her support behind Abdul El-Sayed on Wednesday, a day after he edged out Representative Haley Stevens in the state's Democratic Senate primary. The endorsement came after a fiercely contested race that highlighted the party's progressive-moderate divide.
“Congratulations to Jocelyn Benson, Abdul El-Sayed and every Democrat who won up and down the ballot. They’ve got my support as we fight like hell together to win in November,” Whitmer said in a video posted to social media. Her statement marked a shift from her earlier backing of Stevens, whom she had endorsed last month.
Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination easily and will face Republican John James in the fall. Meanwhile, El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health official, secured the Senate nod by a razor-thin margin—fewer than 15,000 votes out of nearly 1.2 million cast, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Decision Desk HQ called the race for El-Sayed at 8:35 a.m. EDT Wednesday. Stevens conceded later that morning, saying she had spoken with El-Sayed “to offer him my full support” for the general election. In a statement, she praised the primary as “thorough and rigorous” and said she was “proud to have put up my hand to serve,” vowing to work to keep the seat Democratic and help flip the U.S. Senate.
Whitmer acknowledged the intensity of the primary, calling the “passion and energy” from candidates and supporters a “good thing.” She added, “It’s time to come together, get to work and win in November.”
State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her own Senate campaign in early July but still received over 61,000 votes, also endorsed El-Sayed on Wednesday morning. “Abdul has my full endorsement and support,” McMorrow wrote on social media. “This was a brutal primary (believe me, I know). And Trump and Mike Rogers are counting on us staying divided. Let’s prove them wrong by beating Mike Rogers and taking our country back.”
El-Sayed will face former Republican Representative Mike Rogers, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Rogers quickly went on the attack, labeling El-Sayed “an extremist” and criticizing his progressive platform, which includes Medicare for All, ending U.S. military aid to Israel, and publicly funded elections. In a statement, Rogers wrote, “Abdul doesn’t represent a vision for the future. He’s leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism. His agenda would make our communities less safe and our state less affordable.”
The primary results underscore the ongoing tug-of-war within the Democratic Party, a dynamic that has played out in other races, including Shannon McKinney’s upset in Detroit and the toss-up general election now shaping up. Whitmer’s endorsement is seen as a key step toward unifying the party behind El-Sayed, who will need broad support to compete against Rogers in a state that remains politically competitive.
As the general election season begins, both parties are eyeing Michigan as a critical battleground. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance.
