US Senator Gary Peters endorses Haley Stevens
Peters had initially declined to endorse anyone in the race. He tells WDET that it’s a “pivotal time” in the country’s history.
Sen. Gary Peters speaks with WDET's Russ McNamara at the Mackinaw Policy Conference on May 27, 2026.
Outgoing US Senator Gary Peters is endorsing Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for US Senate.
Peters described Stevens as an “outstanding” candidate who will hit the ground running on day one. He talked about working with Stevens during the Obama administration and how he thinks that experience gives her a leg up over her opponent, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
“We want someone who can come in that doesn’t have a learning curve,” Peters said. “Someone who’s going to immediately represent the people of Michigan and fight for their interest. She’s Michigan through and through.”
Peters changed his mind on endorsement
Peters said he wanted to stay out of endorsing in the Democratic primary until he realized how Michigan’s elections will impact the entire country. He said he sees “chaos” in the Trump administration, with inflated prices making it harder for Michiganders to buy gas and groceries.
“It’s absolutely essential that a Democrat wins in Michigan. We need to have a check and balance with the administration,” Peters said.
Peters denied his sudden endorsement meant the Stevens campaign was “panicked” as alleged by the Michigan Republican Party.
“That should be very telling when Republicans are making that comment. I guess they want the other candidate to win.”
El-Sayed has largely been leading in the polls since the beginning of May.
Representing Michigan
Peters described Michiganders as “practical, common-sense folks” who just want to get things done. To Peters, out-of-state endorsements for El-Sayed don’t reflect the needs of Michigan.
“To me, this race is about Michigan,” Peters said. “It’s not about who’s attracting a national audience or who’s on national TV. It’s about who’s actually delivering for the people of Michigan.”
However, money from outside sources like AIPAC has benefited Stevens’ campaign, with millions of dollars coming in for ad campaigns.
Challenging the GOP
Peters says there would be big spending for Republicans in their primary if Mike Rogers had a serious challenger.
“Whoever wins the primary, part of that $45 million of Republican money is going to go after that person with everything they’ve got, and that’s why you have to have someone who has a proven track record of actually winning tough races,” Peters said.
What people should be focusing on instead of money, according to Peters, are the messages from each Democratic candidate.
On the Republican side, Peters said that Mike Rogers will serve as a “rubber stamp” for the Trump administration instead of serving the needs of Michigan.
