Outgoing Sen. Gary Peters ended his neutrality stance in the race to replace him and endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens over far-left Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Michigan’s primary has become a national proxy fight over the party’s direction — and its ability to retake the Senate amid rising anxiety about an energized left flank led by Mr. El‑Sayed.
Mr. Peters’ decision puts him firmly in the establishment camp, alongside Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and opposite Sen. Bernard Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, who have rallied behind Mr. El‑Sayed’s vow to push the party leftward, including on Israel.
“Colleen & I are all in for Haley Stevens for U.S. Senate. Michigan – and the country – can’t afford to lose this seat,” Mr. Peters said on social media.
He described Ms. Stevens as “the fighter we need” with “the record to back it up.”
First elected in 2014, Mr. Peters served as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2024. He had planned to stay neutral. But he changed course days after the far-left run of Graham Platner imploded in Maine after a former girlfriend accused him of rape. The abrupt demise of the Graham campaign muddied Democrats’ chances of unseating GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term.
Mr. Peters is not alone in his decision to get involved in the Michigan primary race.
Democratic leaders have increasingly rallied behind Ms. Stevens as the Aug. 4 primary approaches and concerns grow that Mr. El‑Sayed is too far left to succeed in November.
Ms. Stevens has stressed her electability, arguing that her moderate brand is a far better fit for Michigan, as evidenced by her four terms in the U.S. House.
Mr. El‑Sayed’s left-wing agenda includes Medicare for All and ending support for Israel, which he accuses of genocide in Gaza.
He also criticizes Ms. Stevens for being too cozy with the pro‑Israel lobby and doing the bidding of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC.
Ms. Stevens has held firm in her support of Israel, but has tried to shield herself from the attacks by directing criticism at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than Israel as a whole.
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