Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm is wading into the Democratic fight for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, throwing her support behind U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and giving the suburban Detroit lawmaker a heavyweight ally in a crowded primary. With the August primary less than three months away and the field still unsettled, Granholm’s nod adds another dose of establishment muscle to Stevens’ camp.
Granholm’s Pitch: Jobs, Factories And “Michigan Grit”
Granholm said Stevens has the “Michigan grit” to protect auto jobs, manufacturing, and families squeezed by rising costs, in a statement first shared with Bridge Michigan. The former governor, who later served as President Biden’s secretary of energy, has made manufacturing and clean energy jobs a centerpiece of her public work, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Stevens Racks Up Another Establishment Ally
Stevens called Granholm a “champion for Michigan workers” and said she was “thrilled” to have the former governor in her corner, as reported by Michigan Advance. Granholm’s backing follows an earlier endorsement from former Sen. Debbie Stabenow, covered in Stabenow Sides With Stevens, further lining up party heavyweights behind Stevens. Stevens has served in the U.S. House since 2019, according to Wikipedia, and her campaign is betting that this wall of institutional support will translate into votes.
Polls Say: Wide-Open Race
An exclusive statewide poll from Mitchell Research & Communications for MIRS found Abdul El-Sayed at 28 percent, Stevens at 18 percent, and Mallory McMorrow at 17 percent, with 38 percent of likely Democratic primary voters still undecided in the August contest. The survey, conducted May 1–7, underscores how little is locked in, even as endorsements pile up. The full release is available from MIRS / Mitchell Research & Communications.
What Granholm’s Endorsement Could Shake Up
Granholm’s backing gives Stevens a high-profile surrogate who can make the case to manufacturing workers and donors, and it could bolster organizing in key auto-heavy counties where Granholm’s industry credentials still resonate. Campaign strategists caution that endorsements are only one piece of the puzzle, though. With such a large undecided bloc, turnout, how effectively campaigns court those late deciders, and which operation builds the strongest ground game are likely to decide who emerges from the August primary.
Opponents Push A Different Direction
McMorrow and El-Sayed have cast the race as a fight over the party’s direction. McMorrow has attracted progressive institutional backing, including the support of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, while El-Sayed’s left-leaning endorsements and energetic online base have helped him build support among younger voters, dynamics reflected in MIRS / Mitchell Research & Communications. Both rivals have leaned into their outsider credentials, pressing Stevens over her national ties and fundraising and arguing that their insurgent brands are a better fit for the Democratic primary electorate.
Granholm’s nod further stacks the deck of establishment support behind Stevens, but with such a large share of voters still up for grabs, the contest is far from settled. Expect more endorsements, high-profile surrogates, and a fresh wave of ads as all three campaigns scramble to lock down the voters who will decide Michigan’s August primary.
