Retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is warning the three Democrats competing to succeed him in Michigan's marquee Senate race to keep their campaigns civil as the August 4 primary approaches. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Peters expressed concern that candidates will become increasingly "chippy" with one another as the primary draws closer. Holding Michigan in the Democratic column is crucial for the party to win a Senate majority, given Republicans currently hold a 53-47 edge and Michigan represents one of the few battlegrounds where Democrats are playing defense due to Peters' retirement.
The three candidates competing for the Democratic nomination include Abdul El-Sayed, a medical school graduate who served as public health director in Detroit and suburban Wayne County; Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), seen as the establishment pick; and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is courting both progressive and traditional Democrats. The winner will face Republican nominee-in-waiting Mike Rogers, who represented a Lansing-based district in the House from 2001 to 2015.
What the Left Is Saying
Peters, who is set to retire after 12 years representing Michigan, said primaries are not necessarily harmful to party prospects. "Primaries aren't necessarily bad," Peters told the Washington Examiner. "It's an opportunity for folks to get to be known in the state, particularly if they aren't already known statewide." The senator added: "Our hope is that it just doesn't get too acrimonious. And unfortunately, a lot of primaries, especially if they're close, get a little chippy at the end."
Progressive voices have rallied behind El-Sayed's campaign. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has backed El-Sayed, who is trying to steer the primary left with his background in public health and government service. The candidates have sparred over issues including the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups on the Senate race and El-Sayed's embrace of controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker as a campaign surrogate.
Democratic tensions have surfaced around party establishment dynamics. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow chided former Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow for supporting Stevens, suggesting the endorsement was orchestrated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) because he is "feeling threatened." Stevens has declined to say if she supports Schumer today, but the party leader's perceived backing of her has become part of a larger anti-establishment critique from her opponents.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Republicans are watching the Democratic primary unfold with interest. "The Democrats have got a mess on their hands in Michigan," Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who ran Senate Republicans' campaign arm last cycle, told the Washington Examiner. Daines cited Democratic infighting as a factor in handicapping the GOP's chances to flip the seat.
"I realize this environment in a midterm is always more difficult than in a presidential, but I think it bodes well for our chances to pick that seat up," said Daines, who helped Republicans win a Senate majority after four years in the minority. Rogers, the Republican nominee-in-waiting, represented a Lansing-based district in the House from 2001 to 2015 and spent his last four years there as House Intelligence Committee chairman.
What the Numbers Show
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Michigan is one of the few battlegrounds where Democrats are playing defense due to Peters' retirement. With no clear frontrunner less than three months out from the Democratic primary, polling shows none of the three candidates has pulled ahead despite multiple debates and ongoing campaigning.
Both Peters and his Michigan Senate colleague, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), plan to stay neutral in the race. Slotkin narrowly defeated Rogers in a 2024 open-seat race by just 19,006 votes out of nearly 5.6 million cast, edging him out 48.64% to 48.30%.
The Bottom Line
Peters' warning reflects broader concerns about how intraparty battles can leave eventual nominees weakened heading into general elections. Senate Republicans are hoping the Democratic candidates carve each other up rhetorically in ways that leave the nominee bruised going into November.
Both Peters and Slotkin's decision to remain neutral underscores how sensitive the race has become within the party. What happens in August will determine which Democrat faces Rogers in a state that remains competitive, with implications for control of the Senate.