Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens in Democratic US Senate primary

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FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers the State of the State address at the Michigan state Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Feb. 25, 2026. (Devin Anderson-Torrez/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP, File)

Michigan U.S. Senate candidates, Abdul El-Sayed, left, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., are displayed on a television during a debate inside the spin room at WoodTV studios on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Kristen Norman) — FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers the State of the State address at the Michigan state Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Feb. 25, 2026. (Devin Anderson-Torrez/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP, File)

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1:01 PM on Friday, July 24

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and JOEY CAPPELETTI

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Friday, in a race with Abdul El-Sayed that has become a focal point for the party's fight between its moderate establishment and progressive wings.

“As governor, I have one strategy: Get things done,” Whitmer said in a video posted on X. “Just like me, Haley will do whatever it takes to get things done for the people of Michigan.”

The announcement came as Whitmer was also expected to attend a campaign event in Detroit with Stevens.

Stevens is in a tight race for the Democratic nomination against El-Sayed, a progressive supported by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The winner of the Aug. 4 primary will face Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in November for a critical, battleground Senate seat now held by the retiring two-term Democrat Gary Peters.