Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) holds a 7-point lead over progressive Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary for Sen. Gary Peters’s (D-Mich.) seat, according to a Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll conducted by the Glengariff Group.

The poll, conducted from July 8 to 11 among 500 likely Democratic primary voters with a margin of error of 4.4 points, found that 48.2% of respondents said they would "definitely" or "probably" back Stevens, while 41.4% said the same of El-Sayed. Additionally, 9.5% of respondents remained undecided.

Stevens, a moderate, recently received the endorsement of Peters, who described her on social platform X as "the fighter we need" with "the record to back it up." El-Sayed has garnered support from key progressive figures.

The poll also revealed that 51.5% of respondents viewed El-Sayed favorably, compared to 49.5% for Stevens.

Many Democrats see the Michigan Senate race as a significant test of the party's identity amid ongoing debates over whether to lean left or toward the center, especially following election losses in 2024. The primary between Stevens and El-Sayed is scheduled for August 2026.

Sources