Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow has suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, setting up a high-stakes, two-way clash between the party’s center and its progressive left flank.
Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription
Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.
“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said Sunday in a statement posted to X and accompanied by a video.
McMorrow did not endorse either of the remaining candidates, Rep. Haley Stevens or former public health official Abdul El-Sayed. The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will face former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is backed by President Donald Trump and unopposed for the Republican nomination.
The seat is open this fall because Democratic incumbent Gary Peters is not seeking re-election — and the race for it stands to be a critical battleground for partisan control of the Senate.
“So here’s what we do next: We win this Senate seat and send Mike Rogers back to Florida for good,” McMorrow said, referring to Rogers’ residency after leaving Congress a decade ago and returning to run for office several years ago. “Whoever wins this primary on Aug. 4 will have my full support.”
Stevens has run a campaign tethered tightly to the Democratic establishment, with support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and other party mainstays in Michigan, including former Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Conversely, El-Sayed, an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2018, has aligned himself further left, boasting endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
McMorrow attempted to split the difference between the two but had trouble maintaining traction. Her statement Sunday did not offer an explicit reason for her decision to exit the race.
Recent polls have shown El-Sayed ascendant in a close race, with Stevens and McMorrow slipping into third place. Attention on El-Sayed — and his formidable prospects — increased last month after primary wins by a trio of congressional candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist. The Michigan race is seen as a test of whether the far-left energy seen in deep-blue enclaves can translate to a Midwest swing state.
The Michigan race had turned bitter in recent weeks. Both El-Sayed and McMorrow have called for new leadership in the Senate — a shot at Schumer and, by extension, his preferred candidate. Stevens has also garnered criticism for her support from pro-Israel groups and for taking corporate PAC money.
El-Sayed made a direct pitch to McMorrow supporters Sunday.
“Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against a politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,” he said in an emailed statement.
“I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All,” El-Sayed added. “We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.”
Stevens, for her part, called McMorrow an “important voice” for Michigan and said she looks “forward to working with her” in the future.
“Anyone who raises their hand to serve the people of Michigan and puts forward thoughtful ideas for how they would lead earns my respect,” Stevens said in a statement from her campaign.
“As we enter the final month of the primary election,” Stevens added, “I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power.”