Aug. 4 is the test for Haley Stevens’ closing argument: the Michigan congresswoman says her record of flipping a GOP-held House seat in 2018 and surviving a 2022 incumbent primary makes her Democrats’ safest Senate nominee.
Michigan’s Senate seat has grown more critical to Democrats’ path back to a majority after turmoil in Maine, and party leaders including Chuck Schumer and Debbie Stabenow are backing Stevens against Republican Mike Rogers, who lost by fewer than 20,000 votes in 2024.
More than $30 million in outside spending has boosted Stevens, including over $13 million from AIPAC-linked United Democracy Project and another $7 million reserved, giving rival Abdul El-Sayed a potent line of attack.
El-Sayed has surged by arguing Democrats should not run to the middle, pairing progressive positions with endorsements such as the United Auto Workers as some Michigan primary voters show more appetite for anti-establishment candidates.