Michigan voters will head to the polls to select nominees for the state’s top offices, putting the spotlight on one of the most prominent battleground states in the country. During Tuesday’s primary election, residents will cast ballots in multiple races, including the governor’s race, a swing U.S. Senate race, and one of the tightest House races nationwide.The Michigan Senate primary for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) will take place on Aug. 4. Cook Political Report rates the Senate race in the purple state as a toss-up. Though the state has a Democratic governor and two current Democratic senators, Trump won Michigan in 2016 and 2024.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who is backed by Trump, is expected to secure the Republican nomination as he is the only GOP contender in the race. Rogers has competed to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate before, failing in his bid against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in 2024 by just 19,000 votes.Democrats on Tuesday are choosing between Abdul el Sayed, who is backed by socialists, and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), a comparatively centrist establishment-backed candidate. Stevens, a four-term congresswoman from Birmingham, has been endorsed by Whitmer, Peters, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). El Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), alongside Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA).El Sayed has been polling well ahead of Stevens in the weeks leading up to the election. Stevens has warned she is far more electable in November than el Sayed, arguing that her 2018 victory in a competitive state Senate district over an incumbent Republican proves her ability to win close races.Both candidates support ending the filibuster, the 60-vote supermajority required to pass most Senate legislation, which has long been hailed by centrists as essential to incentivizing bipartisanship in the upper chamber. U.S. Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed, left, and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens participate in a televised debate, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Southfield, Mich. (Robin Buckson/Detroit News via AP, Pool)
