Michigan Democrats vote in high-stakes Senate primary Aug. 4
Why it matters: The winner between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens will defend a must-hold seat in Democrats’ bid to retake the Senate.
Michigan Democrats are choosing their U.S. Senate nominee in a closely watched Aug. 4 primary between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, a race that has turned into a test of the party’s direction in a battleground state. El-Sayed, a former public health official backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has run as an anti-establishment progressive and sharply criticized U.S. military aid to Israel. Stevens, backed by outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, Chuck Schumer and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has pitched herself as a center-left candidate. More than 1 million Michigan voters cast ballots before Election Day, mostly by mail. The contest is critical for Democrats because holding the Michigan seat is widely seen as essential to any effort to flip the Senate chamber.