Michigan Democrats vote in high-stakes Stevens-El-Sayed Senate primary
Why it matters: The winner faces Mike Rogers in a race Democrats likely must hold to reclaim the Senate in November.
Michigan Democrats are voting Tuesday in a closely watched Senate primary that has become a test of the party’s direction in a key swing state. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, backed by Gretchen Whitmer, Gary Peters and Chuck Schumer, is running as an establishment candidate against Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The open seat is critical for Democrats’ hopes of taking back the chamber. The campaign has highlighted divisions over ideology, electability and U.S. policy toward Israel, with outside groups aligned with AIPAC spending heavily in the race. More than 1 million Michigan voters cast ballots early, mostly by mail.