Michigan's 2026 Senate and Governor Primaries Draw National Money and Endorsements

Michigan held competitive 2026 primaries to select nominees for governor and U.S. Senate, with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Republican Rep. John James among GOP contenders. Separately, a crowded Democratic Senate primary featured Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed as leading candidates for the seat being vacated in Michigan. On July 24, 2026, Whitmer formally endorsed Stevens in the Senate primary, an intervention multiple outlets described as notable given the contest's status as one of the most closely watched ideological battles within the Democratic Party this cycle. Around the same period, AIPAC directed a record amount of spending into the Michigan Senate primary, with reporting indicating the pro-Israel group's expenditures benefited Stevens amid opposition to El-Sayed, who has drawn backing from socialist-aligned supporters. Fox News reported that El-Sayed, during campaign remarks, praised the United States while also describing the country's political system as a "disease" and calling for the abolition of ICE; this characterization was not independently corroborated by the other reporting reviewed. As of early August 2026, Benson was reported to be on track to secure the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, facing one primary challenger, while three Republicans were competing for the GOP nomination in that race. The outcome of the Democratic Senate primary between Stevens and El-Sayed remained undecided in the available reporting, with AIPAC's spending scale cited as an unprecedented test of the group's electoral influence. Specific dollar figures for AIPAC's expenditures and final primary results were not detailed across the sources reviewed, leaving those particulars unresolved.