Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens in her state’s contentious Democratic Senate primary on Friday, wading into one of the highest-profile ideological battles within the Democratic Party.
“As governor, I have one strategy: Get things done. And that strategy informs everything that I do, and that’s why I’m endorsing Haley Stevens for the U.S. Senate,” Whitmer said in a video posted to Stevens’ account.
Stevens is hosting a meet-and-greet alongside the governor and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) in Detroit Friday afternoon.
Stevens and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed are the two major Democratic candidates competing in the Aug. 4 primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
El-Sayed’s candidacy has galvanized progressives, while Stevens has backing from more mainstream Democrats and the tacit support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have Gov @GretchenWhitmer’s endorsement for U.S. Senate,” Stevens said in a post on social media. “She is a champion for our state, she understands the stakes of this race and why it’s so important we elect the strongest Dem in this primary, and she gets stuff done for Michigan. Let’s go win!”
The race has gained national attention as Democrats aim to keep the seat blue and Republicans vie to flip the seat.
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will face GOP candidate and former Rep. Mike Rogers, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, in November.
Stevens and El-Sayed represent the party’s ideological split, with Stevens representing the more moderate lane of the party and El-Sayed the progressive wing. That’s also evident in who endorsed them. Stevens received an additional endorsement from outgoing Sen. Gary Peters and El-Sayed has been endorsed by more progressive lawmakers such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
In Warren’s endorsement video, she praised El-Sayed’s vow to not take corporate money while taking a jab at Stevens, who has benefitted from a slew of outside donations — including nearly $30 million from the AIPAC-aligned United Democracy Project.
