Abdul El-Sayed, Haley Stevens to meet in Democratic U.S. Senate debate
Within days of state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announcing she was suspending her campaign for Michigan's open U.S. Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens will square off in a televised debate.
The debate featuring the two remaining Democratic candidates for Michigan's closely watched Senate race is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Tuesday. The debate pits El-Sayed, the former director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services and a 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary candidate, against Stevens, a four-term member of the U.S. House representing the state's 11th District.
El-Sayed and Stevens will square off in the Aug. 4 primary for the Democratic nomination. Former Rep. Mike Rogers is the sole Republican listed on the GOP primary ballot.
While Michigan voters are making the choice, the Senate seat holds national significance in the 2026 election cycle. Michigan is considered a political battleground state, with control of the U.S. Senate potentially hinging on the November election results.
CBS News Detroit will televise the presentation, which is hosted by WOOD-TV of Grand Rapids. The moderators are WOOD-TV reporter Rick Albin and anchor Amber Krycka.
The winner of the November election will replace the incumbent, Gary Peters. The Democratic senator announced in January that he would not be seeking reelection in 2026. Peters, 67, has represented Michigan in the Senate since 2015 after serving in the House.
El-Sayed, 41, of Ann Arbor, was a previously a Democratic candidate for Michigan governor, losing to Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 primary. He was most recently a Wayne County administrator and had served as Detroit's health commissioner.
Stevens, 43, of Birmingham, grew up in Oakland County. She has served four terms as a congressional representative, first winning election to Michigan's 11th District in 2018.
Rogers narrowly lost the November 2024 election that sent Democrat Elissa Slotkin to the U.S. Senate from Michigan. That race was also open, after Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow retired.