Abdul El-Sayed leads Haley Stevens in Michigan Senate Democratic primary

Jul 31, 2026

A new poll shows progressive Abdul El-Sayed with a big lead over Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, a bad sign for the party establishment despite tens of millions spent to stop him.

  • El-Sayed leads Stevens by a wide margin, even after over $74 million was spent on Stevens' behalf.
  • His campaign is fueled by young voters, Bernie Sanders and union backing, and anger over U.S. support for Israel.
  • There's a generational split among Black voters, not the clean racial divide the establishment expected.
  • Backing from Gretchen Whitmer gave Stevens no bump, and Whitmer's own approval among Democratic voters has dropped sharply.
  • Tension between the campaigns over Israel has turned ugly, and some El-Sayed supporters say they'll skip November if he loses.

Outlook: El-Sayed looks positioned to win the August 4th primary, but a chunk of voters on both sides may sit out the general election.

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