Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in the congresswoman’s tight Senate primary in Michigan against former public health official Abdul el Sayed.
Stevens and el Sayed are locked in a neck-and-neck primary to see who will vie to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in the general election, with Stevens representing the more centrist, establishment wing as el Sayed is backed by several socialist lawmakers. Whitmer, who has won two statewide races in the purple state that President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, said she is backing Stevens because the congresswoman shares her core “get things done” strategy.
“Just like me, Haley will do whatever it takes to get things done for the people of Michigan, and we need her now more than ever,” Whitmer said. “Republicans in D.C. are making your life harder and more expensive. Tariffs, cuts to Medicaid, soaring gas prices — it’s all piling on. Luckily, Haley is taking them on and putting money back in Michiganders’ pockets.”
The race between Stevens and el Sayed has attracted many endorsements from high-profile lawmakers, as it has become a test for antiestablishment and anti-AIPAC sentiment on the Left.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), as well as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) have all supported el Sayed and his pitch to get big money out of politics. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Peters himself, and now Whitmer are some of the big names in the Democratic establishment who have touted Stevens as the Democratic Party’s best choice if they want to win in the general election.
“Haley is as Michigan as it gets,” Whitmer said in her endorsement message. “She grew up in a middle-class household, her parents ran a landscaping business out of their Ford F-150, and she’ll tell anyone who will listen about her first Oldsmobile. She knows what Michigan families are going through, and that’s how I know she will always put Michigan first.”
Whitmer also ran against el Sayed herself in the state’s 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary. She bested the public health official by a 21.8-point margin that year.
HALEY STEVENS BETS ON BLACK SUPPORT IN MICHIGAN PRIMARY HOMESTRETCH
Stevens and el Sayed have remained within single-digit margins of each other in most polling, except for several that have had el Sayed leading by double digits, which were sponsored by PACs supporting his candidacy.
The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will take on Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Mike Rogers, a former U.S. congressman. Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.