The marquee race on the ballot pits Rep. Haley Stevens, 43, against former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, 41, for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Polls close at 8 p.m., with officials cautioning that full results may not come until Wednesday.
The contest carries direct local stakes. El-Sayed previously led the Wayne County Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services, the agency that serves Plymouth and Canton residents. Stevens' decision to run for Senate leaves her congressional seat open, with four Democrats and one Republican competing in the Aug. 4 primary for that House seat.
A national proxy fight with local roots
The race has become the Democratic Party's most expensive Senate primary this cycle. Groups backing Stevens spent roughly $60 million in outside money, including more than $30 million from AIPAC and its affiliates, according to PBS NewsHour. El-Sayed has called for ending military aid to Israel; Stevens has maintained strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
"No one owns my vote and no one owns my policies," Stevens said during a debate with El-Sayed. "Anyone who is contributing to my Senate campaign is doing so because of my proven record of fighting for Michigan."
Stevens won endorsements from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Peters himself. El-Sayed secured backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
A non-partisan Emerson poll of likely Democratic voters found El-Sayed leading 54% to 39%, with voters under 50 breaking for him by 42 percentage points. Voters over 60 preferred Stevens by 14 points.
What comes next
The winner faces Republican Mike Rogers in November. Rogers, a former congressman who lost to Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes in 2024, is running unopposed in the GOP primary. An EPIC-MRA general election poll showed Stevens leading Rogers 44%-42%, while Rogers led El-Sayed 46%-43%, according to CNBC.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow dropped out of the Democratic race in early July but remains on the ballot.
Michigan is considered a must-win for Democrats hoping to retake the Senate majority. Trump won the state by 1.4 percentage points in 2024. Democrats need to net three seats total to reclaim control.
Plymouth and Canton voters are also deciding a transit millage and local primary races on the same ballot. Results from the Senate primary may not be certified for several days after Aug. 4.
