- US Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow is dropping out of the US Senate race, her campaign announced Sunday
- She had pitched herself throughout the Democratic primary as a middle ground between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed
- Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will face GOP candidate Mike Rogers in November
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow has suspended her campaign for US Senate, leaving Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed to compete for the Democratic nomination.
In a video posted to social media Sunday afternoon, the two-term state lawmaker stopped short of endorsing either of the other candidates for the Democratic nomination but vowed whoever wins in August “will have my full support” against Republican Mike Rogers.
“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said, noting she will continue to call for new leadership in the Democratic Party and help elect Democratic candidates in Michigan.
Primary voting is already underway in Michigan as absentee voters around the state receive and cast their mail-in ballots.
McMorrow had positioned herself as a middle ground candidate between Stevens, who has garnered establishment support, and progressive favorite El-Sayed. But she’d lagged in recent polling and failed to establish a strong voter base, which observers said made it hard to raise the kind of money needed to win a statewide race.
“It was always going to be tough” for McMorrow, said Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist with the bipartisan Grassroots Midwest firm in Lansing. “She started out with the least name ID in this race with voters in Michigan, and she was never really able to change that.”
McMorrow’s decision came nine days after the Wall Street Journal reported that retiring US Sen. Gary Peters had privately told associates he thought McMorrow should drop out in a bid to consolidate establishment support behind Stevens.
But it’s hard to say whether McMorrow’s exit will benefit either Stevens or El-Sayed, Hemond said, noting her supporters “don’t fit neatly into either side’s camp.” An endorsement from her in the primary likely wouldn’t be decisive, but might be helpful, he continued.
First elected to the state Senate in 2018 after defeating a Republican incumbent, McMorrow worked her way into leadership in the chamber and helped lead the charge on issues like gun safety and election administration.
She began to earn national attention in 2022 after a clip of a state Senate floor speech denouncing a Republican colleague who had suggested she and other Democrats supporting LGBTQ rights wanted to “groom and sexualize kindergartners” went viral.
Later, McMorrow published a book and went viral again for a 2024 Democratic National Committee speech, where she read from an oversize copy of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
As a US Senate candidate, McMorrow had pitched herself as the hardworking underdog most capable of delivering tangible change, frequently telling voters: “Rhetoric is really nice, but results are better” and touting her work flipping the state Senate for a Democratic majority.
Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, as well as the winner’s eventual general election matchup against Republican Rogers, are among the most closely-watched races in the country as Democrats fight to define the future of the party and make a play at majority control of Congress.
Outside groups have spent considerable sums in the primary, much of it to benefit Stevens.
In statements issued after McMorrow’s announcement, both Stevens and El-Sayed praised McMorrow’s efforts as a candidate and reiterated their commitment to see their own campaigns through.
“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.
“Mallory McMorrow has been an important voice, both in this race and in the State Senate, for policies that benefit Michigan’s children and families, and I look forward to working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”
El-Sayed said that while he and McMorrow had policy disagreements, “I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers.”
“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. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us,” he said.
Shortly after McMorrow suspended her campaign, Attorney General Dana Nessel — who had worked closely with McMorrow on state policy issues — endorsed Stevens, writing on social media that “the choice is clear” following McMorrow’s departure.
“Haley is wicked smart, has won multiple highly competitive races, and she connects with people on a level so sincere and genuine that everyone who meets her feels truly seen and heard,” Nessel said, adding that she believes Stevens “has always and will always” stand up to the Trump administration.
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