Mallory McMorrow Claims Grassroots Victory in Michigan Senate Race Despite Polling Questions

Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced she raised more than $3 million in the first quarter of 2026, touting the fundraising as proof of strong grassroots momentum ahead of the August 4 primary.

McMorrow framed the total as evidence of her grassroots appeal, emphasizing that her campaign has sworn off corporate political action committee money. More than 120,000 real people have donated to this campaign since the start, she said. McMorrow underscored that the contributions came entirely from individual donors. There was not a dime of corporate PAC donations, just 120,000 people like you, she said.

Despite McMorrow's claim that she has not accepted funds from any PACs, federal data shows that the state senator has received more than $34,000 from corporate PACs for her U.S. Senate campaign.

Beyond fundraising, McMorrow pointed to early organizational strength. Her campaign gathered more than double the required number of signatures to qualify for the ballot, collecting them across all 83 counties in Michigan. She also said the effort relied entirely on volunteers, without paid canvassers. We collected double what is required to get on the ballot, and we did it in all 83 counties, she said. Weve gone from third place at launch to now leading by 5 percentage points.

McMorrow is competing in a crowded Democratic primary alongside Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and public health expert Abdul El Sayed to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in 2026. The eventual Democratic nominee is expected to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who previously ran against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and is backed by President Donald Trump, in what is shaping up to be a competitive Senate race.

McMorrow, widely viewed as a rising figure within the Democratic Party, has sought to position herself as part of a new generation of leadership. She recently secured an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a leading progressive voice. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Peter Welch (D-VT) have also thrown their support behind the state senator. For generations now, working families have been squeezed by out-of-control costs like housing and child care, and its time to elect a Democrat with a backbone like Mallory, Warren said.

Despite the early momentum claims, the race remains fluid. All three Democratic candidates are polling below 30 percent, with a majority of voters still undecided ahead of the August primary.

Polls Tell a Different Story

New polling from the Global Strategy Group showed McMorrow leading with 30 percent support, compared to El-Sayed's 25 percent and Stevens' 23 percent. Many voters 21 percent were still undecided. The undecided voters will be crucial to each candidate over the coming months.

Given the slim margin in the poll, they could determine the outcome. In June 2025, a Global Strategy Group poll showed Stevens leading with 24 percent, while McMorrow and El-Sayed trailed at 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Stevens still held a name ID advantage 54 percent of respondents were familiar with the congresswoman, while 52 percent of respondents said they know of El-Sayed. Only 49 percent said they recognized McMorrow's name.

The poll surveyed 800 likely primary voters from March 19 to 22 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. It is not an independent poll, which are generally viewed as more reliable than internals, which can be selectively released. However, an Impact Research poll, a Stevens internal, showed her leading with 28 percent support, compared to El-Sayed's 26 percent and McMorrow's 25 percent. Twenty-one percent were undecided. The poll surveyed 800 likely primary voters from February 10 to 16 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Democratic primary voters are looking for an effective legislator who knows how to win tough fights and they see that in Haley Stevens. Stevens legislative effectiveness and experience in government differentiate her from McMorrow and El-Sayed. The issues she fights for align with voters priorities, reinforcing her credibility and strengthening trust.

Three-Millennial Showdown

The race has already been called the most fascinating and consequential primary in the country. With three relatively young candidates in the race, many observers have called it a chance for Michigan Democrats to help define the party moving forward.

In Michigan Senate race, Dems battle for bucks as Mike Rogers builds war chest, Bridge Michigan notes that each candidate offers to bring a relatively fresh perspective to an institution where the average age is currently 64. At 42, Stevens is the oldest candidate in the race but has already won multiple competitive elections to Congress.

The three leading Democrats attempting to succeed 67-year-old US Sen. Gary Peters bring different backgrounds and views to their closely watched primary, but they have at least one thing in common. Theyre millennials.

US Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County public health official Abdul El-Sayed all promise to bring a fresh perspective to the upper chamber, where the average age is currently 64. For people in our generation theres been this negative connotation that we complain too much and things are too hard, when all of the data shows it is that much harder for our generation to afford the things that our parents afforded, said McMorrow, 39, who frequently references her own struggles getting a job after college graduation in campaign stump speeches.

Added El-Sayed, 41: Its about damn time.

Political pundits have largely cast Stevens as the moderate establishment favorite, El-Sayed as the progressive darling and McMorrow as something in between though the candidates themselves see more nuance beyond those ready-made lanes. Regardless, this primary will tell us a lot about the direction of the national Democratic Party.

Who emerges from there could impact how competitive this race is.

Peters, Michigans senior US senator, shocked many Democrats last year when he announced he would not seek a third term this year, opening up a seat in one of the nations most politically competitive states. Now, Democrats competing for the general election will likely take on Republican Mike Rogers, 62, a former member of Congress who has worked to consolidate GOP primary support after coming up just short in his bid for another open US Senate seat two years ago.

Other declared candidates, including Republicans Genevieve Peters Scott and Bernadette Smith and Democrat Rachel Howard, have not attracted the same level of attention. With Rogers facing little primary opposition thus far, Republicans see a clear lane to the general election that isn't marred by what they predict could become a messy primary on the Democratic side.

Youve got three people who are all wanting the job, and theyre not polling that far apart thats usually the recipe for a massive bloodbath, Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad told Bridge Michigan. Its going to be competitive to the end. Which, of course, we like.

But Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel sees the primary in a more optimistic light, saying the party has three great candidates who have the chance to test their mettle before taking on Rogers. Its a challenge, but its also an opportunity, and I think its one were going to do very well in.

Stevens pens a love letter. Rep. Haley Stevens, now running for US Senate, walks off the stage after speaking before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign rally the Oakland Expo Center in Waterford Township on Oct 18, 2024. Now serving her fourth term in Congress, Stevens is no stranger to high-stakes races. The Birmingham Democrat flipped what was then the 11th House district during 2018s blue wave and held it two years later. When she was drawn into the same district as fellow Democratic incumbent Andy Levin in 2022, she won an oft-bitter primary fight, taking nearly 60 percent of the vote.

In her quest for higher office, Stevens is banking on the notion that she can do it again, both in August and November. Shes making the case that Democrats need her to defeat Rogers, who only narrowly lost to US Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024, and is calling her campaign a love letter to the state of Michigan, the place where I was born.

Im the only Democrat in this race whos going to beat Mike Rogers in the fall, she told Bridge, citing recent polling showing her tied with Rogers in a hypothetical matchup. Ive got this appeal with independent voters based on my record of standing up for Michigan, getting things done and showcasing my unique understanding of the needs of our state.

Stevens has invoked her millennial credentials on the campaign trail before she was the first Michigan millennial to be elected to Congress. This time around, at 42 years old, shes the oldest candidate in the Democratic primary. Her main goal now, she said, is to stay laser focused on economic issues plaguing so many Michigan residents, from lowering costs of living to boosting the states manufacturing industry through lowering supply chain costs.

Campaign Statements

The McMorrow campaign wrote in a statement to Newsweek: Both of these polls show a clear trendline the more voters get to know the candidates, the more they support Mallory.

Haley Stevens spokesperson Arik Wolk, in a statement to Newsweek: This is going to be a very close primary, and we plan to fight for every single vote, but poll after poll tells the same story: Haley is consistently the strongest Democrat in a general election matchup. In fact, she is the only Democrat who is even remotely competitive with Mike Rogers, especially among independent voters, who decide elections in Michigan. Pollsters have said Haley has a unique appeal and magic with independents, and thats why shes the strongest Democrat to go up against Mike Rogers.

Sophie Pollock, spokesperson for El-Sayed, wrote in a statement to Newsweek: Abdul's favorability in the state speaks to the kind of message that is resonating with voters here. He is meeting Michiganders in every corner of the state to share his vision for what government can do when we take on corporate power and recenter the needs of working people. That kind of vision is energizing voters and reengaging folks in the party to win in key states like Michigan.

The Global Strategy Group polling memo noted: The contours of the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan have changed dramatically since last June. As the three candidates have become better known, both Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed have become more popular. Conversely, Haley Stevens has seen her unfavorable rating triple while her favorable rating has remained stagnant.

What Happens Next

Both the Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball classify the race as a toss-up. Michigans primary is set for August 4.