The Democratic U.S. Senate race in Michigan remained too close to call early on Wednesday Aug. 5, with Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor clinging to a narrow lead over U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director backed by the progressive wing of the Democratic party, was favored going into election night, based on recent polling averages. But Stevens, a more centrist candidate who was the choice of the party establishment, gained ground on his early lead as more results came in.
With about 95% of the ballots counted, El-Sayed had 48.6% of the vote and Stevens had 47.3%, trailing by about 20,000 votes.
The election to fill the vacancy resulting from the retirement of U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township
has drawn national attention as an indicator of the direction of the Democratic Party that is split between moderates and progressives.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the race July 5 but remained on the ballot and received about 4% of the vote, endorsed El-Sayed early on Aug. 5 after NBC News called the race for him. But other major news organizations still had not projected a winner as of 6:45 a.m.
The winner will face former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake Township, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Democratic U.S. Senate race in Michigan remains too close to call
