Washington — State Sen. Mallory McMorrow said Sunday that she is suspending her U.S. Senate campaign, a move that further tightens Michigan’s Democratic primary field ahead of an August contest expected to carry major implications for control of the chamber.
“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said in a post on X announcing the decision.
The race opened after Sen. Gary Peters announced he would not seek reelection, setting off a competitive fight in the Great Lakes State. McMorrow had been running against Rep. Haley Stevens and former Michigan health official Abdul El-Sayed for the Democratic nomination, in a primary that has grown increasingly tense amid sharp intraparty divisions.
Stevens has drawn support from national Democratic leaders, while El-Sayed has built momentum with endorsements from leading progressives. Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez endorsed El-Sayed, underscoring Michigan’s place as the latest flashpoint in the broader debate over the Democratic Party’s direction after recent insurgent victories in New York and Colorado.
Following McMorrow’s announcement, both El-Sayed and Stevens released statements praising her and her campaign.
“Throughout this campaign, you showed what it looks like to fight back against a politics that rigs the system against too many of us,” El-Sayed wrote, in part, in a reply to the video where McMorrow announced her decision. “While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether you would fight for a better America for my daughters and yours.”
“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 wrote, in part, adding that she “looks forward to work with (McMorrow) in the future to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”
The Democratic primary is scheduled for Aug. 4. In her announcement, McMorrow said she would support whoever wins the nomination. That candidate is expected to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election. Rogers previously made a bid for Michigan’s other Senate seat but narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the last election.
Republicans now hold a 53-seat Senate majority, leaving Democrats with a difficult path if they hope to reclaim control this fall. To do so, the party would need to flip four seats while also protecting several vulnerable incumbents and open seats across the map.
Michigan is widely viewed as one of the Democrats’ most competitive Senate battlegrounds this cycle. The state has swung between Democratic and Republican presidential candidates in recent elections, and the Cook Political Report currently rates the race as a toss-up.
