A Detroit state lawmaker has announced he is withdrawing from the race to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, leaving three Democratic candidates as the leading contenders in the primary.
State Representative Joe Tate, who made history as the first Black speaker of the Michigan House, shared on Thursday that he is suspending his campaign to pursue a different path of public service. Tate faced challenges competing with the fundraising efforts of three other Democrats: U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, state Senator Mallory McMorrow, and public health official Abdul El-Sayed.
The 2026 Senate race is expected to be closely watched, as Republicans aim to maintain control of the Senate majority.
Reflecting on his campaign, Tate said, “The past three months have been wonderful, just to connect with Michiganders.”
Tate entered the race shortly after Democratic Senator Gary Peters announced he would not seek reelection. However, his fundraising lagged behind the other candidates, according to recent reports.
Stevens raised approximately $2.8 million, which includes $1.5 million transferred from her previous House campaign. McMorrow secured about $2.1 million, while El-Sayed gathered roughly $1.8 million. In comparison, Tate raised close to $193,000 and had about $70,000 remaining as of June 30.
Tate indicated he may run for reelection to his state House seat. He stepped down as speaker after Republicans won the majority in the November elections.
On the Republican side, former U.S. Representative Mike Rogers has launched another campaign after narrowly losing the 2024 Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by just 19,000 votes. Rogers’ path became clearer when GOP U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga decided not to enter the race earlier this year.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Rogers reported raising about $1.2 million as of June 30.
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