GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Michigan Democrat campaigning against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens to fill Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, has responded to outgoing U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ recent endorsement for Stevens in the Aug. 4 primary.
Peters, who will retire this year after serving in the Senate for 12 years, announced the endorsement on Monday, stating that Stevens will be “ready on day one to fight for Michigan.”
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The endorsement marks a reversal for Peters, who told The Associated Press in late May that he intended to stay neutral in the race.
Roxie Richner, a spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign, called the endorsement “expected” but “disappointing to watch Sen. Peters succumb to the Stevens’ campaign’s desperation after committing to let the voters decide.”
“This is the establishment backing the establishment,” Richner said in a statement issued by the campaign on Monday. “Ultimately his entry emphasizes the stakes of the race, it’s the politics of the past vs. the politics of the future, the politics of corporate power vs. the politics of worker power, the politics of cynicism vs. the politics of hope. Nothing says change like the last two senators trying to pick the next one.”
Democratic leaders have increasingly rallied behind Stevens as the Aug. 4 primary approaches — especially after Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow opted to exit the race, abruptly reshaping the Democrats’ upcoming primary into a two-person contest between Stevens and El-Sayed.
Stevens, a four-term House member, has campaigned as a more moderate Democrat focused on manufacturing issues in the critical battleground state. El-Sayed, a former public health official who has never held elected office, is running on a more progressive platform that includes Medicare for All and campaign finance reform. He’s also been outspoken about the war in Gaza, which has become a major fault line within the Democratic party.
Peters won two Senate races in Michigan and led Senate Democrats’ campaign arm during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.
His endorsement adds to Stevens’ growing support from the Democratic establishment, with the race being viewed nationally as a broader fight over the party’s direction.
“Senator Peters knows what it takes to win in Michigan, and he knows what Michigan needs from our next U.S. Senator: grit, effectiveness, hard work, and Michigan common sense,” Stevens said in a statement. “I am honored to have his support.”
The Democratic winner will likely face Republican Mike Rogers, a former member of the U.S. House running uncontested for his party’s nomination, in what is expected to be one of the country’s most expensive and closely watched Senate races.