Democratic Senate Candidates Clash in Final Michigan Primary Debate

Democratic candidates Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed held their final televised primary debate on July 28, 2026, in Southfield, Michigan. The candidates are competing for the seat of retiring Senator Gary Peters, with the primary scheduled for August 4. The two sparred over the role of corporate and outside spending, specifically the tens of millions of dollars provided to Stevens by groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Stevens, a moderate aligned with party establishment figures like Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Chuck Schumer, positioned herself as a pragmatic workhorse. While El-Sayed advocated for the total abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Stevens proposed redirecting $70 billion from the agency instead. El-Sayed, a progressive and former Wayne County health director, criticized U.S. military aid to Israel and emphasized his independence from corporate funding. The debate also involved personal friction, including a controversy over a leaked recording where El-Sayed referred to an "ogre on a pike," which he later clarified was a reference to Senator John Fetterman.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in November. Rogers, who is unopposed in his own party's nomination, appeared with President Donald Trump at a General Motors facility in Milford on July 27. While the Republican National Committee labeled both Democratic candidates as radicals, the Michigan Democratic Party characterized the platform of Rogers and Trump as a toxic agenda.