El-Sayed held slim lead in Michigan Senate primary with 90% in
Why it matters: The winner faces Republican Mike Rogers in a must-win seat for Democrats' Senate hopes in November.
Abdul El-Sayed held a narrow lead over Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary with more than 90% of the vote counted, capping a bitter contest in a race with national stakes. The winner will face Republican Mike Rogers in November for the open seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters. El-Sayed, a former public health official backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ran as an anti-establishment progressive. Stevens, backed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, argued she was the stronger general-election candidate. The race has become a test of the Democratic Party's direction in a swing state that Donald Trump carried in 2024.