For many young people, politics can feel overwhelming and confusing. It can be hard to understand how the system works and which candidates to support when different elections are happening. According to Pennsylvania Capital Star, voter turnout among people aged 18 to 29 drops 4.2 percentage points from presidential elections to midterm elections. One reason for this could be that some new voters feel overwhelmed and uninformed about these smaller elections.

The upcoming Midterm elections are happening in November 2026. For many high school seniors and juniors turning 18 this year, these elections will be the first time they’re eligible to vote. However, if they don’t have all the necessary information, they might feel intimidated. 

One of the most important races in this election is the Senate race. In January 2025, Michigan senator Gary Peters, who has served in the Senate since 2014, announced that he would not be running for reelection in 2026. This means that Michigan has an open seat in the Senate and Michiganders must elect a new senator to represent them alongside current Senator Elissa Slotkin. 

This race is already shaping up to be interesting. Democrats feel strongly about defeating the Republican frontrunner, Trump-backed candidate Mike Rogers. However, all three frontrunning democratic candidates have had comparable polling and funding, meaning anyone could win the primary nomination. Michiganders are going to face some tough decisions. With the election on the horizon, it’s time to get informed. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Senate race in Michigan. 

When are the elections?

  There are two sections of the Senate elections: The primaries and the general elections. 

Primaries are elections in which members of a specific party vote to nominate the primary candidate for the party in the general election. For example, in the 2018 democratic primary, democrats elected Gretchen Whitmer as the primary democratic candidate for governor. The primaries for Michigan will be held on Aug. 4, 2026. 

General Elections are elections in which all parties vote for their chosen candidate, and the winning candidate is elected into office. For example, in the 2024 general senate election, Michiganders elected Elissa Slotkin to office. The general election in Michigan is on Nov. 3, 2026. 

What does the Senate do?

The Senate is a vital part of the democratic system. The Senate makes up one half of the U.S. Congress, also known as the legislative branch, along with the House of Representatives. Each state gets two senators to represent it in Congress. 

Congress’s main duty is to draft and pass federal laws. Congress also establishes the federal budget, oversees taxation, reviews the actions of the president and his cabinet and declares war. Senators have some of the most important and impactful jobs in the federal government, directly influencing federal law and politics.

Who are the Democratic candidates for Senate?

Haley Stevens

Haley Stevens is a democratic senate candidate from Oakland County, Michigan. She served as a member of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and later served as chief of staff on President Obama’s auto rescue. She is currently a Michigan representative in the House of Representatives. 

Political views/reputation

• Stevens is a centrist democrat with moderate views on most issues.  
• Stevens is an avid defender of Israel and received $3 million in 2022 from pro-Israel supporters for her campaign, according to the Detroit Free Press. 
• Although Stevens receives funding and support from corporate political action committees (PACs), according to the Detroit News, she claims to support legislation to enforce limits on political spending. 
• Stevens has expressed support for ICE and has stated she supports reforms rather than abolishing ICE. However, she has supported legislation to help undocumented workers get driver’s licenses in Michigan.
• Stevens has shown support for progressive causes like opposing legislation proposed to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. 
• According to her campaign website, Stevens claims that her goals in the Senate are to “fight for Michiganders and our economy while standing up to the Trump-Musk chaos agenda” and that “when elected, she will fight to lower costs, protect the benefits that Michiganders paid into and earned over a lifetime of work, and defend our personal freedoms.”

Notable endorsements

• Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard
• Michigan State Representative Joe Tate 
• Former Mayor of Detroit Dave Bing

Abdul El Sayed

Abdul El Sayed is a physician from Detroit, Michigan. He is a democratic Senate candidate and the former director of the Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services for Wayne County, Michigan.

In 2018, El Sayed ran for governor of Michigan in the Democratic primary, basing his campaign on health reforms after the Flint water crisis and vowing to accept no corporate campaign donations. El Sayed lost the primary to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.   

Political views/reputation

• El Sayed is a progressive Democrat, focusing on three core values: “Keeping money out of politics, Putting more money in your politics and Medicare for all.” 
• El Sayed claims that he is fighting for “an economy and healthcare system that works for everyone, affordable housing for all and clean air and water.” 
• As a physician, El Sayed has focused heavily on supporting Medicare for all and co-wrote a book on the subject. He argues that medical debt should not exist and that it is a crisis facing America. 
• El Sayed has not accepted any PAC donations, raising all campaign donations solely from individual donors. 
• El Sayed has taken a firm stance against Israel’s actions in the Gaza War, repeatedly categorizing it as a genocide and calling for a ceasefire.
• El Sayed supports abolishing ICE, a persistent message in his political career since his 2018 campaign. 
• According to Current Affairs, El Sayed is an avid supporter of unionization and advocates for union expansion.

Notable endorsements  

• Senator Bernie Sanders 
• Congressman Ro Khanna 
• Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib 
• Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

Mallory McMorrow

Mallory McMorrow is a member of the Michigan Senate and a Democratic Senate candidate from Whitehouse, New Jersey. According to The Detroit News, McMorrow describes herself as a “pragmatist” and claims she does not align with “far-left politics.” 

Political views/reputation

• According to Michigan Advance, McMorrow has stood up against Republicans who have gone after the LGBTQ+ community. 
• McMorrow has expressed her support for abortion rights and has publicly opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.  
• McMorrow favors alternative pathways rather than Medicare for all, advocating for a public option that would allow people to buy into Medicare, according to The Detroit News. 

• According to The American Prospect, McMorrow has shown support for Israel, traveling to Israel in 2023 and praising IDF soldiers. However, she seems to favor “a two-state solution” featuring ‘a peaceful and Democratic Palestinian state’ and has said that she will not accept donations from AIPAC.
• According to The American Prospect, McMorrow’s economic policy involves “a federal minimum wage raise, expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, restoration of the Biden-era Child Tax Credit and national paid family and medical leave.”

Notable endorsements 

• Senator Chris Murphy
• Senator Martin Heinrich

 Who are the Republican candidates for Senate?

Mike Rogers 

Mike Rogers is a law enforcement officer, former U.S Representative and Republican Senate candidate from Livonia, Michigan. After his career in the U.S. House of Representatives, he worked as a national security commentator for CNN. 

Rogers is the clear frontrunner for the Republican Party, backed by major Republican politicians and outraising his primary opponents by over $5 million. As it stands right now, it appears that other republican candidates will have low odds of beating Rogers for the primary nomination. 

Political views/reputation

• Rogers has agreed with Trump’s assertion that abortion should be left up to the states and has said he won’t attempt to overturn Michigan’s 2022 constitutional amendment that secures legal access to abortions for Michiganders. 
• Rogers appears to be focusing his campaign on making homeownership more affordable by rolling back regulations and government interference in the housing sphere. 
• Rogers also wants to incentivize new housing construction by removing taxes on new construction in residential housing zones and replacing empty-lot zoning with residential housing zones.
• According to The Michigan Independent, as a U.S. representative, Rogers “repeatedly voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers.” Additionally, he has received more than $1 million from the pharmaceutical industry since 1999. 
• Rogers supports a strict immigration policy and a wall at the southern border.
• Rogers is strongly pro-Israel, repeatedly backing them in the House and supporting U.S. funding for them. 

Notable endorsements:

• President Donald Trump 
• South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
• South Dakota Senate majority leader John Thune
• Wyoming Senate majority whip John Barrasso.

Genevieve Scott

Genevieve Scott is the second runner for the Republican Party in this race, although she is far behind her opponent in funding. According to the Federal Election Commission, Scott has raised $58,146, and only $15,859 of which came from individual contributions. 

Political views/reputation

• According to her campaign website, Scott’s top priority is revitalizing Michigan’s economy by creating a national program to bring skilled trades training to middle schools and high schools. 
• Scott also claims she wants to establish nationwide standards for federal elections to prevent election fraud. She additionally hopes to establish a “national framework requiring our American Founding documents be taught in K-12,” and eliminate “unconstitutional spending” of taxpayer money.
• Scott is a fierce supporter of Donald Trump, claiming she is “dedicated to the bold vision for America that President Trump is fighting for every single day.”
• According to Michigan Public NPR, Scott was a 2020 election denier and urged January 6 protesters to “move forward” during the 2021 insurrection at the Capitol. 
• According to Politico, Scott “joined armed members of the Proud Boys for a 2020 rally at the Michigan Capital” and “has made numerous social media posts of herself mingling with Proud Boys, including marching alongside its leader, Joe Biggs.”