Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Sunday, abruptly reshaping the party primary just a month before the election and leaving a two-person contest between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed.
McMorrow’s exit comes after many Democrats increasingly viewed her as a long shot for the nomination. It also creates a fresh dynamic in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, forcing Democratic voters into a direct choice between Stevens, a mainstream congresswoman backed by much of the party establishment, and El-Sayed, supported by many progressive movement leaders.
It could also prompt influential Democrats who had stayed on the sidelines of the Aug. 4 election due to relationships with McMorrow to wade into the race because of concerns about El-Sayed’s electability in a general election.
The seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is one that the party must hold if it hopes to reclaim the Senate majority in this fall’s midterm elections. The primary winner is expected to face Republican Mike Rogers, who lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024.
McMorrow did not explain her decision, which comes after ballots have already been sent out. She did not say whether she make an endorsement in the race.
“Today, I’m announcing that I am suspending my campaign for United States Senate,” McMorrow wrote.
“And I’m doing it with a deep, deep sense of gratitude. For our thousands of volunteers, for everyone who donated what you could – building a campaign with zero corporate PAC dollars. For my staff, who built this team up from nothing. I thank you,” she said.
Her rivals reacted quickly.
El-Sayed appealed to McMorris supporters to join “our movement” and accused “party insiders” of “bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate.” In a post on X, he said, “We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.” Stevens described herself as “the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November” and said in a statement that she looked forward to working with McMorrow “to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”
The race has increasingly split Democrats along ideological lines, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer backing Stevens and El Sayed drawing the support of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and allies such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., although El-Sayed identifies as a progressive rather than a democratic socialist.
Stevens has been backed by millions in spending from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Michigan has one of the largest Arab American populations in the country.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced on Facebook that she was endorsing Stevens soon after McMorrow dropped out.
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Peoples reported from New York.
