Sen. Gary Peters Sides with Corporate Democrat Haley Stevens, Snubbing Progressive Vision in Michigan Primary
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Sen. Gary Peters has thrown his weight behind Rep. Haley Stevens, a centrist Democrat, in the Michigan Senate primary, prioritizing establishment interests over the transformative policies championed by progressives. The move underscores ongoing resistance within the party to bold change, as Peters frames the race as a battle for control against Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters ended his silence on the Michigan Senate primary by endorsing Rep. Haley Stevens, a moderate congresswoman from Birmingham whose record reflects the corporate-friendly, incrementalist approach favored by the party establishment. Peters, intent on maintaining the status quo, claimed the outcome of the August 4 primary will shape the Senate’s balance of power and insisted that only a Democrat can defeat Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November.
"She has demonstrated to me time and time again that she's a fighter. We need workhorses in the Senate, and we need someone who can do that job from day one," Peters told The Detroit News, drawing a sharp line between Stevens and her primary opponent, former public-health official Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive leader who has not yet held elected office but has inspired a new generation of activists.
Peters praised Stevens' experience in competitive elections and her appeal to both establishment Democrats and independents, calling her a "proven commodity"—a phrase that signals comfort with politics-as-usual in a state hungry for real change. He dismissed the importance of robust debate within the primary, warning that personal attacks are counterproductive and urging party unity to defeat Rogers, rather than embracing the energy and ideas of the progressive movement.
El-Sayed’s campaign, undeterred by the establishment’s attempts to maintain control, responded through spokeswoman Roxie Richner, who criticized the endorsement as “establishment backing the establishment” and framed the contest as a choice between the “politics of the past” and the “politics of the future.”
Stevens, already buoyed by endorsements from former Sen. Debbie Stabenow and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm—both stalwarts of the party machine—faces El-Sayed, whose campaign is powered by support from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, champions of real progressive change. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, another potential voice for progress, withdrew from the race last week.
Peters pledged to assist Stevens on the campaign trail and support the primary winner, but made clear that the party’s priority remains defeating Rogers, rather than embracing the bold vision demanded by grassroots activists.