U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow dropped out of Michigan’s Democratic primary, likely helping consolidate support around the establishment’s pick, Rep. Haley Stevens.
Ms. McMorrow lagged in the polls ahead of the Aug. 4 primary, but what little support she had threatened to sink Ms. Stevens in favor of Abdul El-Sayed, who is campaigning on socialist and anti-Israel policies.
Michigan Democrats were reportedly trying to push Ms. McMorrow out to help Ms. Stevens, who is trailing Mr. El-Sayed in polls.
“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” Ms. McMorrow said on social media Sunday.
She said she would continue to seek new leadership in the Democratic Party.
Ms. McMorrow had positioned herself as a political compromise between Ms. Stevens, considered a moderate, and Mr. El-Sayed, whose socialist embrace has party officials worried it will hurt their chances of holding on to the seat in November.
While he is not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, he shares much with the DSA platform: He has called for abolishing ICE, backs Medicare for All, and has labeled Israel’s military actions in Gaza a genocide. He has also railed against corruption in the Trump administration, vowed to fight for a billionaire tax and focused on the high cost of living that is creating headaches for working-class voters — and political headwinds for Republicans this fall.
He is an outspoken critic of the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill, accusing Israel of trampling Palestinian human rights, and insisting the U.S. should halt all military assistance to the country.
It helped him earn the endorsement of a leading party socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Polls show Ms. Stevens, who has served four terms in Congress, trailing Mr. El-Sayed by an average of more than 5 points, according to RealClearPolitics. The latest survey, taken at the end of June, found Mr. El-Sayed with 41% of support and Ms. Stevens with 36%. Ms. McMorrow lagged with 8%.
The winner will appear on the November ballot against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers. A recent poll of Michigan voters by Quantus Insights showed Mr. Rogers statistically tied with either Ms. Stevens or Mr. El-Sayed.
The seat is open due to the retirement of Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat. He has reportedly asked Ms. McMorrow to quit the race to help Ms. Stevens prevail over Mr. El-Sayed in the primary.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee said Ms. McMorrow was pushed out by Democratic leaders who are trying to stop the stampede of socialist candidates headed to Congress. Last week, three socialist candidates won Democratic congressional primaries, while a self-declared communist, Graham Platner, prevailed in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary.
“Bernie Sanders’ radical socialist flank is completely taking over the Democratic Party. It is now up to Chuck Schumer to combat Abdul El-Sayed’s clear momentum and get Haley Stevens over the finish line in their messy primary,” NRSC regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell said.
Democrats deny trying to block socialist candidates.
House Democratic Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar of California downplayed the socialist victories as “a couple” of wins in districts around the country, which he blamed on “recoil” against President Trump and his policies.
“But we understand that much of that is based on their frustration and anxiety and the economic uncertainty that people face, and voters are going to take it out in different ways,” Mr. Aguilar said. “Voters have that ability to make those decisions in Democratic primaries. And we’ll work with whoever they send.”
• Seth McLaughlin contributed to this report.
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