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Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for the U.S. Senate in battleground Michigan.
The Michigan state senator’s decision leaves her party’s primary as a two-way race between moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, who is backed by longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment, and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing candidate endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
McMorrow’s name will remain on the ballot for the Aug. 4 primary as ballots have already been printed and distributed to absentee voters, according to Bridge Michigan.
The eventual Democratic nominee will face off in the midterm elections with former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in a crucial race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
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Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber 53-47. The leading nonpartisan political handicappers rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up.
In a video posted on X announcing her decision, McMorrow did not provide a specific reason for ending her campaign. She instead thanked her staff and supporters for helping build what she described as a campaign powered by small-dollar donations and no corporate PAC money.
But McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren’t keeping pace with her two main rivals.
McMorrow also pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the primary and faces off with Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle and lost in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by a razor-thin margin.
“So here’s what we do next. Every day through November 3rd. We win this Senate seat and send Mike Rogers back to Florida for good,” she said. “Whoever wins this primary on August 4th will have my full support.”
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Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during the House Democrats’ news conference in the Capitol on Feb. 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Following McMorrow’s announcement, Stevens praised her fellow Democrat by calling her an “important voice” for policies that benefit Michigan families.
Stevens then argued that she is the strongest Democratic candidate to win the primary and defeat Rogers in November.
“As we enter the final month of the primary election, I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power,” she added.
As she runs for the nomination, Stevens has been backed by millions in super PAC spending, including big bucks from Israel-aligned groups.
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Abdul El-Sayed, speaks before Sen. Bernie Sanders and takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
In his statement, El-Sayed praised McMorrow for having the “courage” to challenge what he described as a rigged political system, accusing Democratic Party insiders of spending millions to influence the primary. While he did not name specific groups, the remarks appeared to reference corporate PACs and party leaders such as Schumer.
He then invited McMorrow’s supporters to join his progressive movement to combat big money in politics and defeat the political establishment.
“Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,” he said.
“The same party insiders she had the courage to challenge have been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate. After spending $30 million to drown Senator McMorrow and me out, they’re now spending even more to attack me. It’s everything we are standing up against.”
“I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) stands with Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after speaking at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
El-Sayed, who, if elected would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for “Medicare-for-all” a major component of his campaign.
El-Sayed also calls for abolishing ICE, and he’s a vocal critic of Israel in its war with Hamas. He has characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has also vowed not to accept PAC donations.
Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.
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Former Rep. Mike Rogers, seen speaking with Fox News Digital, is on a glide path for the 2026 Republican Senate nomination in Michigan, as he campaigns for the Senate a second straight time. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), in a statement reacting to McMorrow’s move, pointed to the burgeoning battle between the far left and the establishment for the future of the Democratic Party.
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“Bernie Sanders’ radical socialist flank is completely taking over the Democrat Party. It is now up to Chuck Schumer to combat Abdul El-Sayed’s clear momentum and get Haley Stevens over the finish line in their messy primary,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell argued in a statement.
Greg Manz, the Michigan GOP senior communications adviser, said in a statement that “Michigan’s Senate Democrat primary has shifted from a three-car pileup to a head-on collision.”
