Polls have closed Michigan, where Democrats will settle their most consequential race of the 2026 primary season on Tuesday. Votes are rolling in for the marquee battle between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, which saw the two claw at each other for a chance at the seat in the battleground state that could determine control of the Senate.
With more than 40% of all votes counted around 11 p.m. ET, the race was still close to call with El-Sayed holding a narrow 3-percentage-point lead over Stevens, according to the Associated Press.
Stevens, a former Obama administration official, was embraced by the party establishment and has argued that El-Sayed, a former Detroit-based public health officer running a progressive campaign, risks losing the seat to Republican Mike Rogers in one of the swing states President Donald Trump won in 2024. El-Sayed's side contends outsider candidates, particularly those with a populist vision to sell to voters, generate more enthusiasm.