Democrats split between progressive and establishment wings in Tuesday primaries as Trump-backed Republicans advance
Primary elections were held Tuesday across Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Washington, and Virginia, with key races determining nominees for 2026 midterm contests. President Trump's endorsed candidates won Republican gubernatorial primaries in Michigan and Kansas, while the high-profile Democratic Senate primary in Michigan between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and moderate Rep. Haley Stevens remained too close to call early Wednesday. Rep. Wesley Bell defeated former Rep. Cori Bush in a Missouri Democratic primary rematch, with Bell receiving backing from AIPAC-aligned groups and establishment Democrats.
Michigan's Democratic Senate primary drew the most national attention, with El-Sayed, a former public health official backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, holding a narrow lead over Rep. Haley Stevens early Wednesday morning. The race was not called by the Associated Press by the time Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who had dropped out of the race a month prior, endorsed El-Sayed. More than $80 million was spent on the primary, according to Fox News, making it the most expensive Democratic Senate nomination contest in history; outside groups alone spent $52 million, per NPR citing OpenSecrets.
The Michigan Senate primary also showed a notable class divide in the vote. Politico's analysis of early county-level results found El-Sayed performing better in wealthier, more highly educated counties, while Stevens led in lower-income areas where fewer adults hold college degrees. El-Sayed won 58.4 percent in counties where at least 30 percent of adults hold bachelor's degrees, while Stevens won 51.4 percent in counties below that threshold.
In Michigan's 7th Congressional District, progressive Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawrence won the Democratic primary over two more-moderate opponents, Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam, who together received 56 percent of the vote combined but split it between them. Politico reported that a GOP-linked super PAC spent money to elevate Lawrence during the primary, and Republican Rep. Tom Barrett said he would not underestimate Lawrence heading into the general election. The district, which Trump won by roughly one percentage point in 2024, is considered a potential tipping-point seat for House control.