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August 5, 2026 / 9:59 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — Former Michigan health official Abdul El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, CBS News projects, in a closely watched contest that represented the latest test of the party's divisions.El-Sayed, 41, ran on a leftist platform and secured the backing of prominent progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders in the primary, which became a distinct choice between diverging factions of the Democratic Party after a third candidate, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, dropped out of the race last month. Stevens, a 43-year-old who has represented Michigan in the House since 2019, was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and took a more moderate lane, securing an endorsement from outgoing popular Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month.The pivotal primary contest opened up after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced he wouldn't seek reelection, setting up a competitive race in the state. With the primary victory, El-Sayed is set to take on former Rep. Mike Rogers in November. Rogers ran unopposed in the Republican primary, after narrowly losing to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 race for Michigan's other Senate seat, giving him months to home in on his general election pitch while Democrats' primary fight grew increasingly ugly.
