2026 Michigan Senate race
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
Jewish AG's convention boycott exposes Israel fault line among Michigan Democrats
Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed are running to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
If elected in November, Abdul El-Sayed would be the nation's first Muslim senator.
Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman said the party rejects antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hateful conduct.
Uncommitted movement for Gaza wins elections after 2024 Democrat ignoring
Arab Americans represent roughly 4% of Michigan’s electorate.
Layla Elabed and Lexis Zeidan co-founded Arab Americans for Progress in metropolitan Detroit.
Donavan McKinney, a Black Detroiter, bested the incumbent US representative Shri Thanedar in a safely Democratic district.
“It was a lack of leadership from the [Democratic] campaign to not engage at the level of the candidate when the other guy was showing up to have meals with people,”
Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers falsely claims seeing Bin Laden's body
Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim doctor and former public health official, became Rogers' opponent in the Senate race.
Rogers claimed that El-Sayed believes America deserved 9/11, which a New York Times factcheck found to be false; the statement was actually made by El-Sayed supporter Hasan Piker, who retracted and apologized seven years before endorsing El-Sayed.
Rogers was at home in Washington DC and was informed about the raid in a phone call from CIA director Leon Panetta.
“I watched terrorists with names like mine attack my country in the name of my faith. Three thousand of my fellow Americans were killed in the craven terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. The attack devastated me.”
AI becomes front issue in Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary
Rep. Seth Moulton is challenging Sen. Ed Markey in the Massachusetts Senate Democratic primary.
Markey said during a recent debate that he did not know whether he used AI on his personal electronic devices.
Advance Progress is a PAC supportive of Moulton that is bankrolled by financial players including former Bain Capital co-chair Josh Bekenstein.
“In Congress he helped lead the 99 to 1 vote that stripped a moratorium on state AI regulation out of reconciliation. He has worked to beat back every version of preemption that has come back since, and he wrote legislation to stop the administration from stripping states of their regulatory authority,”
Progressive voters in Michigan rally behind Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed
Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Michigan.
Turnout in Michigan's primary election reached 2.5 million voters, increasing from 2 million in the 2024 state primary.
Kamala Harris formally endorsed Abdul El-Sayed following his primary victory.
“I did not think I would come back to the Democratic party after 2024. I really didn’t. But then when I saw [New York City mayor] Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed, of course, and Shereef Akeel and Amir Makled,”
US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed responds to remarks by JD Vance
Abdul El-Sayed responded to US Vice President JD Vance by stating that his identity and religion are not causing the Trump administration's problems.
Black Voters Express Frustration with Democratic Outreach in Michigan
An analysis by The Hill found that Haley Stevens led Abdul El-Sayed by an average of eight points in counties where Black residents make up 15% or more of the population.
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC released a statement urging people supporting William Lawrence to denounce his remarks and withdraw their support.
According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Black voters who identify with the Democratic Party decreased by 10 percentage points between 2020 and 2025.
“The extent to which the older generation of Black political leadership are such a pillar, frankly, for establishment, capitalist, imperialist American power through their role as this kind of traditionalist, establishmentist (sic) pillar of the Democratic Party, it’s a big problem,”
JD Vance Criticizes Abdul El-Sayed Over Comments on Sharia
Vice President JD Vance delivered remarks at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in Ohio.
Abdul El-Sayed served as the keynote speaker at the Council on American-Islamic Relations' 2022 annual banquet in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma's 2010 State Question 755 was approved by 70% of voters but was blocked by federal courts.
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms, wherever we see it.”
El-Sayed booked for major Islamic convention alongside clerics with radical pasts
“We pray to Allah to save our people in South Lebanon from the evil of these Zionists, to support the Muslims and the mujahideen on His path in the East and the West, especially our mujahideen in Palestine, Lebanon, and everywhere,”
Democrats who never voted Republican back Rogers over El-Sayed in razor-close race
President Donald Trump is supporting GOP nominee Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed has called for abolishing ICE and has characterized Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide against Palestinians.
In the Fox News poll, 96% of Republicans backed Rogers, including 99% of MAGA Republicans and 89% of non-MAGA Republicans.
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms, wherever we see it.”
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic Senate primary
El-Sayed campaigned on Medicare for All, ending military aid to Israel, and campaign finance reform.
El-Sayed's volunteer network reached 12,000 people.
The Senate Republican campaign arm reserved $45 million in Michigan advertising to support Rogers.
“We have to come together and understand that whatever differences existed between Haley Stevens and Abdul (El-Sayed), those are very small compared to the difference between Abdul and (GOP nominee) Mike Rogers, and we’re going to make sure that our Democratic Party comes together in Michigan and reach out to independent voters to win the race,”
Michigan Democrats choose between moderate and progressive in Senate primary
Abdul El-Sayed lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to Gretchen Whitmer.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported Haley Stevens.
Mike Rogers is the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
Michigan Senate Primary seen as battle for Democrats' future
Stevens has the backing of retiring Senator Gary Peters, former Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Chuck Schumer.
El-Sayed has been outspent 12 to 1 by Stevens heading into the primary.
El-Sayed lost to Gretchen Whitmer by 22 points in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial race.
“He’s written three books, he’s had 300 podcasts. You know, he’s had all this attention, but the deal is we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity senator. We need somebody who is committed to six years of hard, unglamorous work.”
Michigan Senate primary debate between Stevens and El-Sayed
“He said that he’s not going to be able to get much done. That he’s not focused on policy for the first two years that he is in the United States Senate. That he’s going to be focused on national politics,”
Mallory McMorrow ends her U.S. Senate campaign
McMorrow's name will remain on ballots for the Aug. 4 primary since the ballots have already been printed and distributed to regular absentee voters.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow dropped out of Michigan's U.S. Senate race on Sunday.
Attorney General Dana Nessel endorsed Haley Stevens after McMorrow announced she was suspending her campaign.
“Anyone who raises their hand to serve the people of Michigan and puts forward thoughtful ideas for how they would lead earns my respect. Mallory McMorrow has been an important voice, both in this race and in the State Senate, for policies that benefit Michigan’s children and families, and I look forward to working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”