Lansing — Former Vice President Kamala Harris got involved in Michigan’s heated U.S. Senate campaign Friday, endorsing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, as Republican Mike Rogers reached out to Democrats for support.
El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health official from Ann Arbor, narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham to take the Democratic Senate nomination on Tuesday.
Harris of California served as President Joe Biden’s vice president and was the Democratic candidate for president in 2024, losing to Republican Donald Trump.
“Abdul knows that we need bold solutions to the crises facing America’s working families, and he is ready to take on this fight,” Harris said. “I proudly stand with him to ensure we win a Democratic Senate majority in November.”
El-Sayed said to achieve a Democratic majority in the Senate, his party will “need to win Michigan, and that means beating Mike Rogers.
“Trump and his allies prey on our divisions — which is why it’s so important to bring communities together right now,” El-Sayed said. “Her support in this race is critical to building an unstoppable coalition against Rogers, Trump and their assault on our rights and democracy.”
Harris’s endorsement was a symbol of Democrats nationally attempting to unify behind El-Sayed after a contentious race against Stevens, who’s served in the U.S. House since January 2019. El-Sayed got 48.5% of the vote in the primary, while Stevens got 47.5%.
In his own move on Friday, Rogers, a former U.S. House member from White Lake Township, posted a video on social media reaching out to Michigan Democrats for their support in November.
“If you are among the majority of Democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless because the person who won does not represent your values,” Rogers said. “Just know: There is still hope.
“Michigan deserves a senator who is ready to sit with you, hear from you and represent you.”
cmauger@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Kamala Harris endorses in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race. Rogers pitches Dems
Reporting by Craig Mauger, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Craig Mauger, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
