Haley Stevens

DETROIT, MI – Religious leaders gathered in Detroit Friday night to listen to a debate between the three Democratic candidates running to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

Candidates Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow touched on a number of issues, from voting rights to foreign policy, during the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity U.S. Senate Candidate Debate. The clergy-only April 24 event took place at Messiah Baptist Church, located at 8100 W. 7 Mile Road.

The three candidates are running for a seat currently occupied by Democrat Gary Peters, who is not seeking reelection. The key race could help shift control of the U.S. Senate from Republicans to Democrats.

El-Sayed, Stevens and McMorrow will face off in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary election, which will be followed by the Nov. 3 general election. Candidates for the race’s GOP primary election include Republican frontrunner and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.

Friday’s debate was facilitated by Council of Baptist Pastors leaders and focused on the top concerns and priorities of council members.

On voting rights and election security, the candidates said they support the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which aims to combat voter suppression.

“I think we also got to deal with the fact that too often our vote has been corrupted by the power of big money in our elections too,” El-Sayed said.

The candidates also touted their opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires voters to provide proof of citizenship.

“He’s trying to nationalize our elections,” Stevens said of Trump. “The SAVE Act, of which I vote against, which I’ve spoken out against, is a red herring, friends.”

On the topic of healthcare, El-Sayed said he supports Medicare for all, and Stevens said she would work to provide affordable health care for everyone.

McMorrow called for the expansion of federally qualified health clinics and in-home care. She also discussed the role she said she has seen racism play in the health care system.

“It should embarrass me that in this country, black women die at three to four times the rate of white women giving birth and have higher rates of postpartum depression and go undiagnosed and undiscovered,” McMorrow said.

The three candidates were also asked about how they would address economic justice and the existing wealth gap. El-Sayed proposed increased taxes for wealthier Americans, with a focus on billionaires.

“Our system should be about taxing the richest corporations in the history of the world - who are the richest people in the history of the world - fairly, so that they can pay the fair share back into the system that helped create them,” he said.

Additionally, Stevens said she would like to see more investment in black-owned businesses.

“We saw during COVID eight out of 10 Black owned businesses at threat of closure,” Stevens said. “We have to be providing capital for the American dream.”

The candidates also discussed immigration, with El-Sayed calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Stevens said she wants to redirect ICE funds to communities and state government.

“ICE is out of control,” she said. “We need accountability.”

Candidates were also asked about how they would approach foreign policy if elected, with questions focused on the ongoing war in Iran and the United States’ relationship with Israel.

“We have to be focused on ending wars, on building up economic opportunity in our states and not putting our kids at risk,” McMorrow said.

El-Sayed and McMorrow argued that America was pulled into the war by Israeli leaders. Both candidates noted they have not accepted any donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Other questions candidates were asked focused on environmental issues, including the Flint water crisis. Candidates expressed their support for a continued shift toward clean energy.

“Michigan in the Great Lakes State is leading into clean energy, not running away from it,” McMorrow said. “We can tap into our manufacturing expertise to build air, wind, solar, new technologies that will take pollutants out of the air. That is economic growth and that’s where we should be going.”

Friday’s debate came on the same day El-Sayed announced that he has been endorsed by more than a dozen pastors from congregations across Michigan, according to a news release from his campaign.

Stevens and McMorrow have also been endorsed by various Michigan clergy leaders, according to their campaign websites.

McMorrow, a Royal Oak resident, serves as the Michigan Senate majority whip. She has represented Michigan’s 8th Senate District since January 2019.

In a video announcing her candidacy in April 2025, McMorrow called for new leadership in Washington D.C. and highlighted her opposition to Trump administration policies.

Stevens is from Rochester Hills and is serving her fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Michigan’s 11th District.

In December 2025, Stevens made headlines when she introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A physician and Southeast Michigan native, El-Sayed has served with Detroit’s Health Department and as the leader of the Wayne County Health, Human & Veterans Services Department, according to his campaign website.