Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens in Michigan Senate primary
Gretchen Whitmer backed Haley Stevens days before Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, where polls show a tight race with Abdul El-Sayed.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens just days before Michigan Democrats pick their Senate nominee, giving the congresswoman a late jolt in a primary that NBC News reported has turned bitter and close.
Whitmer announced her support Friday in a video posted by Stevens on X. The governor framed the choice around governing style, saying she has focused on getting things done and believes Stevens would do the same for Michigan in the U.S. Senate.
Stevens is facing Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official whom Whitmer defeated in Michigan’s 2018 Democratic primary for governor. The Senate primary is set for Aug. 4, with mail voting already underway and early in-person voting beginning Saturday.
Who did Whitmer endorse in the Michigan Senate race?
Whitmer endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens over Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race. The winner is expected to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, who NBC News reported is running without opposition for the Republican nomination, in a battleground general election.
Stevens celebrated the endorsement in her post with the video, writing that she was “absolutely thrilled” to have Whitmer’s support. She called the governor “a champion for our state” and said Whitmer understands the stakes of the contest.
Whitmer’s move could matter because she remains a major figure in Michigan politics. She cannot seek a third term this year because of term limits, and a May Detroit Regional Chamber poll put her job approval at 52%.
A Detroit News and WDIV-TV poll conducted this month among 500 likely Democratic primary voters found the race neck and neck: about 34% said they would definitely support Stevens, while about 34% said the same of El-Sayed. In that same poll, half of undecided voters said a Whitmer endorsement would make them more likely to back a candidate.
There is one catch for Team Stevens: many ballots are already in. NBC News reported that hundreds of thousands of Michigan voters had cast ballots before Whitmer’s Friday announcement, which could limit how much the late endorsement shifts the race.
Whitmer was expected to campaign with Stevens quickly. According to Stevens’ team, the governor was set to appear with her Friday evening in Detroit at an event with Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.
How are Democrats lining up?
Stevens already has support from several prominent Michigan Democrats, including retiring Sen. Gary Peters, Attorney General Dana Nessel and former Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Those endorsements, NBC News reported, have not yet put the contest out of reach.
El-Sayed is running on a left-wing platform that includes criticism of Stevens’ support for Israel and her donor network. He has been backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who rallied for him across Michigan last weekend.
El-Sayed’s campaign pushed back after Whitmer’s announcement. “The corporate establishment has closed ranks and made their pick — now, Michigan voters will get to make theirs,” spokesperson Roxie Richner told NBC News in a text message.
The Michigan Republican Party also weighed in. Spokesperson Greg Manz said Whitmer’s endorsement showed “Establishment Democrats” were “beyond panicked,” and argued that Stevens is “every bit as extreme as Abdul El-Sayed.”
NBC News reported that Whitmer’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment beyond the video endorsement.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.