Mallory McMorrow dropped out of the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan on Sunday, narrowing the field to two as the party faces a crucial choice next month in picking a nominee to defend a must-win seat.
Primary Field Narrows
That leaves Rep. Haley Stevens facing Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate running from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party who is trying to extend the momentum progressives have seen in recent primaries across the country.
McMorrow’s exit ahead of the early August primary doesn’t just reflect her own struggles, but also an emphasis among many Democrats to stop El-Sayed, out of fear he would be a weaker general election candidate against former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican.
McMorrow, in a video on X, touted her achievements as majority whip of the state Senate and urged her supporters to “elect Democrats up and down the ticket” in November, though she did not endorse either of her former opponents.
“Whoever wins this primary on August 4 will have my full support,” she said.
Reaction from Remaining Candidates
Stevens, the favored candidate of Democratic leaders in Washington, acknowledged McMorrow’s prominent position in state politics in a statement Sunday, calling her an “important voice” on “policies that benefit Michigan’s children and families.”
El-Sayed, who previously questioned McMorrow’s principles as she shifted to the left on some positions, praised her in a statement for fighting against politics that “rigs the system” and urged her supporters to back him.
McMorrow was notably the first candidate in the race to say that she would not back Chuck Schumer to remain Senate Democratic leader if elected. She reiterated her call for a new direction in the party on Sunday.
“The energy is there. People are crying out for change. And we owe it to them to listen,” she said.
Implications for the General Election
Rogers, the likely GOP nominee, narrowly lost a 2024 race for the state’s other Senate seat. Republicans hope to flip the seat and bolster the party’s efforts to retain the majority in the Senate. Few Democrats believe they have a path to taking the majority without holding onto the open seat, which is held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
