(AURN News) — Michigan voters will decide Tuesday who leads the Democratic ticket in one of the nation’s most closely watched U.S. Senate races.
The seat is being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters, who is not seeking reelection. Democrats likely need to win the seat to have a realistic chance of taking control of the Senate in November.
The race has become a contest between two distinct visions for the Democratic Party. Abdul El-Sayed is running as a progressive challenger, while Rep. Haley Stevens represents the party’s establishment wing — and the split runs deep.
Even the Congressional Black Caucus is divided, with some younger members backing El-Sayed while senior figures such as Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., support Stevens.
Outside money has poured into the race, with AIPAC and its affiliated super PAC, United Democracy Project, spending close to $30 million to support Stevens, much of it through advertising highlighting her ties to former President Barack Obama.
Whoever wins will face Republican Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost a Senate bid two years ago.
Recent polling shows El-Sayed carrying momentum into Tuesday’s primary, but the question remains: Who can beat Rogers in November?
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
