Haley Stevens

In Michigan’s Tuesday, Aug. 4, primary election, voters will decide one of the nation’s most closely watched Democratic primaries for an open U.S. Senate seat.

The race between four-term U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, and progressive Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former health director for Wayne County and Detroit, has drawn national attention for reasons beyond Michigan’s status as a battleground state.

Democrats need to retain the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Gary Peters if they hope to regain control of the Senate. The contest also has highlighted a debate about the future direction of the Democratic Party, and which candidate is best positioned to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in the November general election.

Over 114,000 Michiganders have voted early.

MLive Media Group has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide a voter guide for readers. Below is how El-Sayed and Stevens responded to questions about health care and immigration policy, why they are running, and how they’d work to pass critical legislation.

El-Sayed described himself in the voter guide’s qualifications and experience section as a “Son of Michigan, public servant, doctor, public health official who rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department, author of ‘Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide,’ card-carrying union member, & proud girl dad.”

Under qualifications and experience, Stevens shared “U.S. Congresswoman, Michigan’s 11th district, 2019-present; Chief of Staff, U.S. Auto Rescue.”

MLive / League of Women Voters guide

Compare candidates and proposal information for the Aug. 4 primary with our online voter guide, a partnership between MLive and the League of Women Voters. Vote411.org/Michigan.

El-Sayed’s and Stevens responses to the voter guide were submitted by the candidates and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters or MLive, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected.

Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties.

Here is how El-Sayed and Stevens responded to the questionnaire:

Why are you running for U.S. Senate?

El-Sayed: I was born and raised in SE Michigan by my dad, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and my stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County since the 1800s. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earned an MD at Columbia, and a PhD from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. I trained as a doctor, but came to see that it was our politics making people sick. That led me to public service. I led both Detroit and Wayne County’s Health Departments, where we secured free glasses for kids and spearheaded a program to eliminate medical debt for thousands of Michiganders. I’m running for US Senate because life in Michigan shouldn’t be this hard–and it doesn’t have to be. Our campaign focuses on guaranteeing healthcare through Medicare for All, making life more affordable by empowering unions and small businesses, and banning corporate money from politics. Our goal isn’t just to win this election, but to change our politics through a movement of Michiganders who believe in the American government as it was meant to be: of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Stevens: Michigan needs a fighter who gets things done for our state. I am the most effective Michigan Democrat in Congress, and I’ve been fighting Donald Trump’s abuses of power and working to lower costs. Having walked nearly 200 manufacturing floors with workers and business owners as part of my ‘Manufacturing Monday’ program, I know what Michigan workers and Michigan’s economy need. That’s what I’ve been working on since my time as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s auto rescue, where I was the only Michigander on the team. Delivering for Michigan means protecting manufacturing, like my work to bring semiconductor production back to Michigan, and protecting auto jobs by keeping Chinese cars out of U.S. markets. It means investing in education, like my Building Blocks of STEM Act to help underserved communities access STEM education, and lowering health care costs by impeaching RFK Jr., restoring Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, fighting back against Trump’s attacks on Social Security and Medicare, and standing up to Trump when he abuses his power and deploys the military on U.S. citizens.

How, and to what extent, would you negotiate and compromise with your colleagues to pass critical legislation?

El-Sayed: I will work with anyone who is serious about delivering real results for working people. I’ll fight for bipartisan solutions that actually move us forward, like reforms to speed up clean energy projects, but only if they protect workers, uphold strong labor standards, and put communities first. I know that bipartisan deals can make progress, but I will never trade away our core values or the needs of working people just to please corporate interests. Because my campaign refuses all corporate PAC money, I am accountable only to the voters, not special interests. I will not back down on defending fundamental freedoms like civil rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and workers’ rights. I will fiercely protect the programs that keep people afloat, like Social Security and Medicare, and oppose any cuts. To break the gridlock caused by outdated rules like the filibuster, I support real reform so we can finally pass the laws working people need. I believe in principled negotiation—finding common ground without ever abandoning the people I serve.

Stevens: It is my job to deliver results for Michiganders - and Michigan’s working families can’t afford to wait decades for change. I’m proud to have been named Michigan’s most effective House Democrat, and I earned that recognition by finding common ground and working with people of both parties to get things done. I also believe that under this administration, with Trump wreaking havoc on our institutions and chipping away at our freedoms, there are times when it’s my job to hold fast to our Democratic values and not give an inch. That’s the kind of leadership that Michigan voters continue to ask for and the kind of approach I take to delivering tangible results for them in Washington.

Immigration: What recommendations, if any, would you propose to change U.S. immigration policy?

El-Sayed: Our current immigration system treats any and all immigrants as threats rather than with dignity and respect. I believe in a safe and secure border and a clear pathway to citizenship. I support the Dream Act, the SECURE Act, and protecting birthright citizenship. I have called for abolishing ICE since 2018 because it has become a paramilitary force weaponized at the whims of the executive branch to terrorize communities. We must rebuild our approach to border enforcement so it actually keeps people safe instead of criminalizing immigrants, while investing in legal infrastructure to support clear pathways to citizenship. We must fully fund asylum and refugee programs and end discrimination based on religion or nationality, period, and stand up for immigrant workers by reforming guest worker programs to stop exploitation, holding corporations accountable when they abuse people.

Stevens: Donald Trump’s ICE is out of control and requires an immediate, drastic, and transparent overhaul that ensures accountability and prosecution for wrongdoing. Trump’s ICE agents killed two American citizens in broad daylight, and they are putting more Americans in danger every day. I pushed to impeach then-Secretary Kristi Noem and remove her from office. My plan to reform ICE is this:-Require ICE agents to identify themselves and take off their masks, wear body cameras, and be held to the same standards as local law enforcement.-Redirect the $75 billion slush fund Donald Trump gave ICE to our communities and give it to state and local law enforcement.-Create a Special Prosecutor to investigate misconduct by ICE agents and hold them accountable for crimes they commit. We must secure our border and fix our broken immigration system through the passage of comprehensive immigration reform. This includes taking steps like supporting our Dreamers and creating a secure immigration system.

Health care: What policies, if any, will you advance regarding reproductive health?

El-Sayed: No politician or government should ever stand between you and your doctor. Every person has the right to make their own decisions about their body and healthcare, including reproductive care. In the Senate, I’ll fight to guarantee reproductive freedom by making Roe v. Wade the law of the land. I’ll proudly cosponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act and stand against any attempt to ban abortion nationwide. I’ll work to ensure everyone can access abortion, contraception, and fertility treatments—without cost standing in the way—by supporting Medicare for All. I’ll fight to repeal the Hyde Amendment and pass the EACH Act, because reproductive freedom shouldn’t depend on your income or where you live. I’ll defend funding for providers like Planned Parenthood, stop taxpayer dollars from going to fake clinics, and address the maternal mortality crisis by supporting community health workers and doulas. I will only support judges who will protect your reproductive rights.