The Ann Arbor endorsement in a fractured primary
The Northside Ann Arbor Indivisible Chapter endorsed state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, signaling that Ann Arbor activists are betting on the Royal Oak lawmaker in a crowded and combative race.
The endorsement came as Michigan’s three Democratic Senate candidates clashed over corporate donations, foreign policy, and health care during a heated debate at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday.
El-Sayed attacks rivals on campaign money
Abdul El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health director running as the progressive candidate, repeatedly challenged his rivals over corporate campaign contributions. He asked both Rep. Haley Stevens and McMorrow to raise their hands if they had never accepted money from Blue Cross Blue Shield political action committees. Neither did.
"The revolution is definitely not coming if we’re not fighting for it," El-Sayed said. "So let’s play a game. If you’re on the stage and you have never taken a corporate PAC check from Blue Cross Blue Shield, raise your hand."
Federal campaign finance records show Stevens’ U.S. House campaign received $2,500 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s PAC in April 2025. State records show McMorrow’s Senate campaign received $5,500 over six years from a Blue Cross-affiliated PAC, according to Bridge Michigan.
El-Sayed positioned himself as the only candidate refusing corporate money and donations from AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. He said Stevens had benefited from millions in support from AIPAC-aligned donors throughout her congressional career.
AIPAC funding puts Stevens on the defensive
Stevens faced pointed questions about AIPAC donations when moderator Stephen Henderson of Detroit PBS pressed her on what the money buys. She declined to directly answer.
"Folks, my campaign is a love letter to our state," Stevens responded, before pivoting to campaign finance reform. "Michiganders are frustrated because we have not done comprehensive campaign finance reform."
The Detroit News reported that 31 percent of Stevens’ donors who gave more than $200 this cycle have also donated to AIPAC. An outside group called Center for Democratic Priorities Inc. recently reserved more than $5 million in television advertising backing Stevens. AIPAC denied affiliation with the group.
Health care divides the field
El-Sayed made Medicare for All a cornerstone of his campaign, calling it one of his top three goals if elected. McMorrow argued the proposal is unrealistic and urged voters to focus on more immediate policies.
"People can’t afford to wait for a revolution that may never come," McMorrow said. "People who are rationing their insulin right now can’t afford to wait for Medicare for All."
She advocated for a public option that would force private insurers to lower costs.
AI and data center taxes spark sparring
El-Sayed attacked McMorrow for her 2024 vote to grant sales and use tax exemptions to data centers that promise to spend more than $250 million on development and create at least 30 jobs.
McMorrow defended her vote by pointing to her proposals for an AI safety law and a "token tax" on commercial AI use to fund apprenticeship programs. El-Sayed called the proposal insufficient.
"It’s not enough," El-Sayed said. "I think we need to regulate AI and AI corporations as public utilities."
All three Democrats want the filibuster gone
Despite their differences, all three candidates agreed on eliminating the Senate filibuster. Stevens said ending it would allow Democrats to codify health care protections. El-Sayed said it would "expose Senators to democracy again." McMorrow argued that Democrats too often "protect Republicans from their own bad decisions."
The primary gets messier
Sen. Gary Peters and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan’s two current Democratic senators, attended the debate but declined to endorse any candidate. Both said the primary had become more contentious than they expected.
"It is messy. Messier than I would have liked," Slotkin told the Associated Press. "I think it’s important in any primary that the candidates focus more on what they want to do and their positive affirmative plan."
Peters said the eventual nominee must build a broad coalition to win in a purple state.
"What are the types of candidates that win in purple states? That should be what we’re looking for," Peters said. "Who can bring people together and build the kind of broad coalition to win in a purple state?"
What Ann Arbor voters need to know
The primary is scheduled for August 4. A recent poll from Emerson College Polling and WOOD-TV found El-Sayed and McMorrow tied at 24 percent each among likely primary voters, with Stevens at 13 percent. More than a third of primary voters remained undecided.
The winner will face former Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election. Rogers lost to Slotkin in 2024 by fewer than 20,000 votes and enters this cycle with an uncontested Republican primary. The Republican U.S. Senate campaign organization has reserved $45 million in advertising, compared with $20 million by Democrats, according to PBS NewsHour.
The Ann Arbor endorsement of McMorrow adds another voice to a race that has drawn sharp divides over money, ideology, and direction for the Democratic Party.