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Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow has withdrawn from the Democratic nomination for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, giving it up to former Wayne County/Detroit Health Commissioner Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, with just over four weeks left before the crucial primary.
McMorrow told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on July 5 that he was canceling his campaign. He had hoped voters would support a candidate who combined El-Sayed’s progressiveism with Stephen’s policy background, but said the campaign’s heavy outside spending has largely closed that path.
She did not endorse one of the other candidates in the race, at least not immediately after her decision.
In a three-minute video posted to X, McMorrow confirmed his decision to cancel his campaign, saying he was doing so out of “deep gratitude” to his supporters and campaign workers. McMorrow said she recently reminded her husband, Ray Wert, and their 5-year-old daughter, Noah, “It’s not about winning, it’s about trying hard and having fun. She’s right.”
“People want change and we need to listen,” McMorrow said. “Whoever wins this primary on August 4th, I will have my full support…Let’s make sure we elect Democrats and show the nation what it means to fight like Michigan.”
McMorrow, who lives in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit, is the first major Democrat to run to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, who is withdrawing from the race after raising more than $8.6 million by the end of the last campaign finance reporting period at the end of March. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers.
However, her resignation came after absentee ballots had already been mailed to some voters and it was too late to remove her name from the preliminary ballot.
While some polls earlier this year had her challenging or leading, recent polls show her falling back significantly as El-Sayed, who is running as a standard-bearer for progressives, and Stevens, a more moderate candidate backed by establishment Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have emerged to the front in recent polling averages.
In late June, the Wall Street Journal cited sources who said Mr. Peters, a close ally of Mr. Schumer but who had not publicly supported any candidate to replace Mr. Schumer, told officials he needed to consider Mr. McMorrow’s resignation so that Democrats could unite around Mr. Stevens and confront Mr. El-Sayed. He has also come under question in the past for campaigning with influencer Hasan Pikar, who critics say has made anti-Semitic comments.
But it wasn’t immediately clear whether McMorrow’s departure would be enough to knock El-Sayed, an Ann Arbor resident, from the top spot. Recent polling averages have Mr. McMorrow’s support in the single digits, and if the polling averages are correct, Mr. Stevens may need all of that to catch El-Sayed.
Mr. Stevens’ level of support from staunchly pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Group (AIPAC), which also supports Republican candidates who voted to maintain US support for Israel, has also been controversial. Many Democrats have voiced skepticism about whether the United States should continue the support it has given Israel in response to the war against Hamas in Gaza.
But Mr. McMorrow’s withdrawal from the race will undoubtedly make the choice more or less for Democrats who are still undecided a month before the election, and it may be the most helpful for Mr. Stevens since Mr. El-Sayed’s supporters appear largely on board with a campaign that has already been in full swing for months. However, predictions that Mr. El-Sayed would reach the highest approval ratings have been off in the past in this election campaign.
El-Sayed issued a statement praising McMorrow’s campaign and saying it “showed what it looks like to fight back against politics that rig the system against too many people.” He also welcomed McMorrow’s supporters to “our movement to stand up to money in politics, put money back in our pockets, and pass Medicare for All. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our candidates.”
“The same party insiders who she bravely challenged have bullied those who oppose their chosen candidate,” El-Sayed said. “After spending $30 million to sink Sen. McMorrow and me, they’re now spending even more attacking me. This is all we’re up against.”
Mr. Stevens also spoke warmly of Mr. McMorrow’s efforts on the campaign trail, although he did not make many direct pitches to Mr. McMorrow’s supporters.
“Anyone who steps up to serve the people of Michigan and offers thoughtful ideas for how they can lead has my respect,” said Stevens, who lives in Birmingham, a suburb of Detroit. “Mallory McMorrow has been an important voice for policies that benefit Michigan’s children and families, both in this campaign and in the state Senate, and I look forward to working with her to build a stronger Michigan for everyone in the future.”
“As we enter the final month of the primary, I want to continue to remind Michiganders why I defeated Mike Rogers this November and are the strongest Democrat to reduce costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up against Trump’s abuse of power,” she said.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. X Follow him at @tsspangler.
This story has been updated with additional information.
