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Gone quiet · last update Aug 9, 2026 / Abdul El-Sayed

The 2026 Michigan Senate race: Abdul El-Sayed's Democratic primary win

Overview · reviewed October 24, 2026

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former Wayne County health director, won Michigan's Democratic primary on August 4, 2026, for the U.S. Senate seat Gary Peters is leaving, defeating Rep. Haley Stevens, the candidate much of the party establishment had rallied behind.[1][2][3] The race was watched as a test of the Democratic Party's direction, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates spent close to $30 million backing Stevens, their largest investment ever in a single race.[4][5]

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Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

The race was watched as a test of the Democratic Party's direction, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates spent close to $30 million backing Stevens, their largest investment ever in a single race.[4][5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-03-10 (UTC): 10%, 19 of 198 tracked outlets (3 left, 7 center, 9 right)Week of 2025-03-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-31 (UTC): 4%, 9 of 205 tracked outlets (2 left, 4 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-04-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-21 (UTC): 4%, 9 of 206 tracked outlets (3 left, 3 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-04-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): 3%, 17 of 569 tracked outlets (6 left, 10 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-07-06 (UTC): 7%, 39 of 560 tracked outlets (9 left, 16 center, 14 right)Week of 2026-07-13 (UTC): 4%, 20 of 559 tracked outlets (5 left, 9 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-07-20 (UTC): 3%, 18 of 562 tracked outlets (5 left, 5 center, 8 right)Week of 2026-07-27 (UTC): 3%, 15 of 561 tracked outlets (2 left, 4 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 18%, 95 of 537 tracked outlets (28 left, 29 center, 38 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 545 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings.We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 8 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (10 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Aug 10, 20261124 of 5451%
Aug 3, 202628293895 of 53718%
Jul 27, 202624915 of 5613%
Jul 20, 202655818 of 5623%
Jul 13, 202659620 of 5594%
Jul 6, 20269161439 of 5607%
Jun 29, 2026610117 of 5693%
Apr 21, 20253339 of 2064%
Mar 31, 20252439 of 2054%
Mar 10, 202537919 of 19810%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Aug 8, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    El-Sayed hopes for Obama’s support

Background

After Sen. Gary Peters said in early 2025 that he would not seek reelection, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow became the first well-known Democrat to announce a run for his seat, in April 2025.[6] Rep. Haley Stevens entered weeks later with a campaign focused on the economic damage of President Donald Trump's .[7] McMorrow dropped out in early July 2026, leaving a two-way contest between Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed.[8]

Stevens and El-Sayed clashed over AIPAC at their first debate after McMorrow's exit.[9] A CNN KFile report found that El-Sayed had voiced support for defunding the police in 2020 interviews, despite saying he never backed the movement.[10] Endorsements split along the party's divide: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren backed El-Sayed,[2][11] while Peters, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer backed Stevens.[12][13][3]

El-Sayed won in what CNN called a marquee victory for the party's progressive wing.[1] The next day, Trump attacked him as "a hater of Jews and a hater of Israel."[14] El-Sayed said he had spoken with Barack Obama as the party tried to unite after a bitter contest.[15] His general election race against Republican Mike Rogers is covered in a separate arc.

Supporting stories (15)
  1. El-Sayed scores marquee victory for progressives
  2. Ocasio-Cortez endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
  3. Senate hopeful Haley Stevens knows how to win in Michigan. Democrats must decide if that's enough
  4. What to watch in the Aug. 4 primaries: Michigan Senate race tests Democrats’ path forward
  5. AIPAC has spent a record amount on Michigan's Senate primary, the biggest test of its influence yet
  6. Michigan lawmaker Mallory McMorrow announces bid for U.S. Senate
  7. Rep. Haley Stevens launches Michigan Senate run, criticizing 'chaos' of Trump's tariffs
  8. Michigan Democratic Senate primary a toss-up after McMorrow departure: Survey
  9. El-Sayed and Stevens clash over AIPAC and other takeaways from the Michigan Senate debate
  10. Abdul El-Sayed says he never backed defunding police — old interviews disagree
  11. Warren backs El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
  12. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters backs Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in contentious race to succeed him
  13. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens in Democratic US Senate primary
  14. Trump Reacts to Abdul El-Sayed's Win in Michigan Primary
  15. El-Sayed spoke with Obama as Michigan Democrats look to unite after a bitter Senate primary

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 24 recorded updates

August 2026

  1. El-Sayed spoke with Obama as Michigan Democrats look to unite after a bitter Senate primaryHeadline from Daily Journal · 32 outlets
  2. Trump Reacts to Abdul El-Sayed's Win in Michigan PrimaryHeadline from NBC News · 15 outlets
  3. El-Sayed scores marquee victory for progressives5 outlets
  4. Democrats in Michigan vow to unite behind El-Sayed, but tensions remainHeadline from The Boston Globe · 77 outlets
  5. El-Sayed pals around with far-left streamer Hasan Piker the day before crucial Michigan Senate electionHeadline from Fox News · 3 outlets
  6. What to watch in the Aug. 4 primaries: Michigan Senate race tests Democrats’ path forwardHeadline from Daily Journal · 19 outlets
  7. James Carville responds to 'vicious' progressive Democrats trying to drive him out of the partyHeadline from Fox News · 7 outlets

July 2026

  1. El-Sayed and Stevens make final pitches before Democratic Michigan Senate primaryHeadline from CBS News · 12 outlets
  2. Michigan Democrats pick between moderate and progressive in high-profile Senate primaryHeadline from Winchester Star · 26 outlets
  3. El-Sayed leading Stevens in Michigan Democratic primary for Senate, poll findsHeadline from CBS News · 8 outlets
  4. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed clarifies he didn't call opponent an "ogre"Headline from CBS News · 8 outlets
  5. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens in Democratic US Senate primaryHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 13 outlets
  6. Warren backs El-Sayed in Michigan Senate raceHeadline from The Hill · 7 outlets
  7. AIPAC has spent a record amount on Michigan's Senate primary, the biggest test of its influence yetHeadline from Jonesboro Sun · 19 outlets
  8. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters backs Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in contentious race to succeed himHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 7 outlets
  9. Senate hopeful Haley Stevens knows how to win in Michigan. Democrats must decide if that's enoughHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 11 outlets
  10. Abdul El-Sayed says he never backed defunding police — old interviews disagreeHeadline from BizPac Review · 14 outlets
  11. El-Sayed and Stevens clash over AIPAC and other takeaways from the Michigan Senate debateHeadline from KRDO · 18 outlets
  12. Michigan Democratic Senate primary a toss-up after McMorrow departure: SurveyHeadline from The Hill · 12 outlets
  13. What Hasan Piker’s Role in Michigan Tells Us About the Democratic PartyHeadline from Truthdig · 1 outlet
  14. Ocasio-Cortez endorses Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate raceHeadline from Local News 8 · 13 outlets

April 2025

  1. Rep. Haley Stevens launches Michigan Senate run, criticizing 'chaos' of Trump's tariffsHeadline from NBC News · 9 outlets
  2. Michigan lawmaker Mallory McMorrow announces bid for U.S. SenateHeadline from ABC 12 Flint · 10 outlets

March 2025

  1. Pete Buttigieg will announce he won't seek US Senate seat in Michigan, source says - The Daily ReporterHeadline from Green Field Reporter · 19 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →