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(CN) — Lacking the stability of an incumbent, Democrats in Michigan are hopeful one of two young candidates can secure a victory for the U.S. Senate seat set to be vacated by Gary Peters later this year.
Abdul El-Sayed, a 41-year-old physician who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, is in a dead heat with Mallory McMorrow, a 39-year-old state senator, according to the results of the latest Emerson College poll.
Released Thursday, the poll shows El-Sayed and McMorrow tied with 24% of likely Democratic primary voters, while U.S. Representative Haley Stevens trails in third place with 13% of the total.
According to the poll, 36% of voters remain undecided in the months leading up to the August primary election.
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate endorsed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, picked up eight percentage points since the college’s last poll in January.
The former director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services has campaigned on fixing broken government agencies and health care reform.
“Abdul is a physician who understands that our current health care system is broken and wildly expensive. He understands that health care is a human right, which is why he supports Medicare for All,” Sanders said in support of El-Sayed.
The bump in the polls also comes after El-Sayed was criticized by some for his continued support of far-left streamer Hasan Piker, with whom he campaigned in recent weeks at both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
The controversial pundit said on a livestream in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11,” for which he later apologized. El-Sayed said in a recent interview he believes it is “critical” for the Democratic party to embrace Piker.
McMorrow gained two points since the January poll, while Stevens lost four points and will need to regain momentum if the 42-year-old congresswoman wants to make the primary a true, three-way race.
A self-described “outsider” and “Democrat with a backbone,” McMorrow became the Michigan Senate whip in 2023 and is a centrist candidate with a platform based on the economy and improving life for the middle class.
Stevens has represented Michigan’s 11th District since 2019 and also campaigned on the economy while touting her work with former President Barack Obama on the auto industry bailout.
Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson College Polling, noted a clear delineation between Michigan voters in different age groups.
“There are generational differences in the Michigan Democratic Senate Primary: voters under 40 support El-Sayed over McMorrow by a 17-point margin, 35% to 18%, while voters over 50 support McMorrow over El-Sayed by a 12-point margin, 29% to 17%, with 13% supporting Stevens,” Kimball said.
The poll was conducted between Saturday and Monday primarily through text message among 971 likely primary voters.
On the other side of the ballot, Mike Rogers will likely be the Republican candidate again following a narrow defeat in 2024 to Elissa Slotkin.
Rogers, endorsed by President Donald Trump, received 55% support from likely primary voters in the Emerson College poll, with 38% of Republican voters still undecided.
The Michigan Senate race is predicted to be one of only a few toss-ups this November, alongside Maine and North Carolina.
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