Mallory McMorrow Drops Out of Michigan’s Senate Primary Race

Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for Senate on Sunday, clearing the way for a head-on clash between progressives and the party’s establishment in next month’s primary.

McMorrow, a state senator who rose to prominence in part because of her social media presence and critique of Democratic leaders, announced Sunday that she’s “suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight.”

“Ten years ago, I started this work heartbroken, typing five words into a search bar,” McMorrow said in a social media post. “And I learned the only thing that has ever really changed this country: ordinary people who love something enough to fight for it.”

McMorrow was locked in a three-way race between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed for the party’s nomination in the must-win Michigan Senate race this fall. Recent polling of the race has shown El-Sayed and Stevens have consolidated support, while McMorrow has faded.

A host of national Democratic figures publicly endorsed McMorrow in the primary, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut). But El-Sayed is a progressive with the support of lefty vanguard Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), while Stevens had locked down the party’s moderate base, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

It’s one of the races where Schumer’s role in primaries, which has led to frustration among many Democrats, is being heavily tested.

In a statement, El-Sayed said McMorrow “showed what it looks like to fight back against a politics that rigs the system against too many of us.”

“While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,” El-Sayed said.

Stevens was also quick to respond to McMorrow’s news, adding in a statement, “I look forward to working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”

In her announcement, McMorrow did not endorse any of the remaining candidates.