Senator Gary Peters announced in January 2025 that he would not seek reelection, opening one of Michigan's two Senate seats. Former Representative Mike Rogers was unopposed for the Republican nomination, and Abdul El-Sayed won the 4 August 2026 Democratic primary by about one percentage point over Representative Haley Stevens after Mallory McMorrow withdrew. The general election is on 3 November 2026.
28 January 2025 to 1 November 2026 · 19 dated events · 34 sources
Status in the record · 2 November 2026
As of 2 November 2026 Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers have held their two debates. On 1 November primary runner-up Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers, the Associated Press reported. Kent County's official general-election list also names Lydia Christensen, Tim Long, Douglas P. Marsh and Walter P. Kristy, along with qualified write-in candidates. Voters choose on 3 November. No general-election result has been reported.
Coverage through1 November 2026Editorial review2 November 2026
Overview · 28 Jan 2025 to 1 Nov 2026 · click a dot to jump
19 events shown
2025
28 Jan 2025
Turning point
Start
Peters says he will not seek a third term
Senator Gary Peters said in a YouTube video that he would not run for reelection in 2026, opening the seat he has held since 2015, the Associated Press reported. Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was not interested in the seat, and state Senator Mallory McMorrow, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were among those mentioned as possible candidates.
“I will therefore not seek reelection in 2026.”Gary Peters, PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)
McMorrow becomes the first well-known Democrat to enter
State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a member of her caucus leadership in the Michigan Senate, launched her campaign in an interview with the Associated Press and a video. Roll Call reported she had said she would not support Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader, and that Pete Buttigieg had decided against running.
Former US Representative Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, announced a run for the Republican nomination in a video. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Tim Scott endorsed him the same morning, NBC News reported. Rogers lost the 2024 Michigan Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by about 19,000 votes, the Associated Press reported.
Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County and Detroit public health director who finished second to Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor, entered the race, the Associated Press reported.
Representative Haley Stevens joins the Democratic field
US Representative Haley Stevens, who represents Michigan's 11th District, launched her campaign with a video and an event at a car dealership, citing her work on the Obama administration's auto rescue task force and criticising President Donald Trump's tariffs, Roll Call and FOX 2 Detroit reported.
“His chaos and reckless tariffs are putting tens of thousands of Michigan jobs at risk.”Haley Stevens, Roll Call
President Donald Trump endorsed Rogers in a Truth Social post on the evening of Thursday 24 July, the Washington Examiner and Yahoo News reported, and the Rogers campaign announced the endorsement. That evening Trump also urged US Representative Bill Huizenga, who had considered challenging Rogers in the primary, to seek reelection to the House. Huizenga had decided against a Senate run on the Wednesday, Yahoo News reported.
Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate, the fourth candidate to enter the race, ended his campaign after about three months, the Associated Press reported. He had raised about 193,000 dollars by 30 June. The AP described Stevens, McMorrow and El-Sayed as the front-runners.
McMorrow left the race a month before the 4 August primary, leaving Stevens and El-Sayed as the main candidates, CNN reported. She did not endorse either and pledged to back the winner. Because she withdrew after absentee ballots had already been printed and mailed, she still drew votes in the primary, Michigan Public later reported.
“Whoever wins this primary on August 4 will have my full support.”Mallory McMorrow, KRDO (CNN)
Peters endorsed Stevens to succeed him, the Associated Press and Michigan Advance reported. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel had endorsed Stevens on 5 July, the day McMorrow withdrew, CNN reported.
“will be ready on day one to fight for Michigan”Gary Peters, PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)
Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Stevens on 24 July, Just the News and Michigan Public Radio Network reported. An El-Sayed spokesperson said the corporate establishment had made its pick and that Michigan voters would make theirs, MPRN reported. The Associated Press later also referred to Whitmer's primary endorsement of Stevens.
“She knows what Michigan families are going through and that's how I know she will always put Michigan first.”Gretchen Whitmer, WGVU News (Michigan Public Radio Network)
Rogers was unopposed in the Republican primary on 4 August. Counting in the Democratic primary continued overnight before the Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed on 5 August, according to AP and NPR.
The Associated Press called the primary for El-Sayed after counting continued overnight, NPR reported. AP later described his margin over Stevens as less than a percentage point. Groups supporting Stevens had outspent those supporting El-Sayed on the airwaves several times over, NPR reported, citing AdImpact.
Stevens congratulates El-Sayed and pledges support
Stevens conceded on X and congratulated El-Sayed in a campaign statement, saying she would support him against Rogers in the general election, Gray DC reported.
Rogers issued a statement calling El-Sayed an extremist, Gray DC reported. On NPR, Michigan Public Radio Network reporter Colin Jackson said the statement linked El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, a link Jackson described as baseless, and El-Sayed called the attacks baseless fearmongering. No response from Rogers to that criticism was found in the sources opened.
In a Truth Social post late on the night before the first debate, President Trump referred to El-Sayed as Mohammed and called him a radical extremist and terrorist sympathiser, the Associated Press reported. El-Sayed said the president knew his name and was using his name and faith to distract voters. The AP did not report a response from Rogers to the post.
“He says it every day.”Abdul El-Sayed, PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)
Rogers and El-Sayed met in a debate broadcast by WOOD-TV and moderated by Rick Albin, the Associated Press reported. Rogers said the war with Iran needed to end and that immigration enforcement in Minnesota was probably not appropriate. El-Sayed said he opposed US funds subsidising wars abroad. The AP described the exchange as combative, with personal attacks on both sides.
“We need it to come to an end.”Mike Rogers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Associated Press)
In a one-hour debate hosted by WXYZ, El-Sayed sought to tie Rogers to President Trump and Rogers repeated an allegation linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, the Associated Press reported. El-Sayed has denied any affiliation with the group and called Rogers's questioning of his commitment to the Constitution shameful. Rogers called Trump's tariffs a mixed bag and questioned those on Canada.
“I'm proud to be an American.”Abdul El-Sayed, KIRO 7 (Associated Press)
Haley Stevens, who lost the August Democratic primary, endorsed Mike Rogers in a video on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. Asked about it, El-Sayed told reporters he did not think about Stevens, AP reported.
“And that's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”Haley Stevens, Associated Press via Michigan Public
Coverage through 1 November 2026. Editorial review: 2 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Copyright concerns: report an asset. Every event links to its sources. Source type does not establish whether a claim is true.
PBS NewsHour (Associated Press)
ABC News 4 (The National News Desk) ·