Gary Peters backs Haley Stevens in Michigan Senate primary
Why it matters: The Aug. 4 race is central to Democrats' push to retake the Senate, and party leaders are coalescing behind Stevens.
Retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters endorsed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens on Monday in the state's heated Democratic primary to replace him, abandoning a neutrality pledge he made in May. The move adds to a broader establishment effort to boost Stevens before the Aug. 4 primary against Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Chris Van Hollen. Stevens, a four-term House member, has run as a more moderate Democrat focused on manufacturing and the auto industry. El-Sayed, a former Michigan health director who has never held elected office, has campaigned on Medicare for All, campaign finance reform and outspoken criticism tied to the war in Gaza. The contest has become a national test of the party's direction.