McMorrow suspends Michigan Senate campaign

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Sunday, reshaping a competitive primary into a head-to-head fight between Rep. Haley Stevens and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed.

“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said in a statement posted to X with a video.

McMorrow did not endorse either remaining Democrat in the Aug. 4 primary. She said she would support the nominee, who will face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election.

“So here’s what we do next: We win this Senate seat and send Mike Rogers back to Florida for good,” McMorrow said, referring to Rogers’ residency after leaving Congress a decade ago and his later return to run for office. “Whoever wins this primary on Aug. 4 will have my full support.”

The Michigan seat is open because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is not seeking re-election. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the cycle, with control of the chamber at stake. Republicans currently hold a 53-seat majority, and Democrats are trying to win control while defending seats in several other races.

Michigan has swung between Democratic and Republican presidential candidates in recent elections, and the Cook Political Report rates the Senate race as a toss-up. CBS News reported that Rogers narrowly lost his bid for Michigan’s other Senate seat to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the last election. NBC News reported that Rogers is backed by President Donald Trump and is unopposed for the Republican nomination.

McMorrow’s departure narrows a Democratic primary that had grown increasingly contentious. Stevens has drawn support from national Democratic leaders and party figures in Michigan, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and former Sen. Debbie Stabenow. El-Sayed, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018, has aligned himself with the party’s progressive wing and has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

McMorrow had tried to position herself between those two lanes but struggled to maintain traction. Her statement did not give an explicit reason for ending her campaign. NBC News reported that recent polls have shown El-Sayed rising in a close race, with Stevens and McMorrow slipping into third place.

The contest has become a proxy fight over the direction of the Democratic Party. Both El-Sayed and McMorrow have called for new leadership in the Senate, a criticism aimed at Schumer and, by extension, his preferred candidate. Stevens has faced criticism for support from pro-Israel groups and for taking corporate PAC money.

El-Sayed made a direct appeal to McMorrow’s supporters after her announcement.

“Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against a politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,” he said in an emailed statement.

“I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All,” El-Sayed added. “We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.”

Stevens called McMorrow an “important voice” for Michigan and said she looks “forward to working with her” in the future.

“Anyone who raises their hand to serve the people of Michigan and puts forward thoughtful ideas for how they would lead earns my respect,” Stevens said in a statement from her campaign.

“As we enter the final month of the primary election,” Stevens added, “I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power.”