McMorrow suspends Michigan Senate bid in shock move

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for U.S. Senate, narrowing a marquee Democratic primary to a two-way race a month before Election Day.

Why it matters: It is a major shakeup to what has already been a chaotic Democratic primary in a Trump-won swing state Democrats likely need to retake the Senate.

• McMorrow's withdrawal leaves moderate Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Dr. Abdul El-Sayed as the two Democratic hopefuls vying to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
• The development marks a stunning reversal of fortunes for McMorrow, a rising Democratic star who had polled competitively for much of the race.

What they're saying: "Today, I'm announcing that I'm suspending my campaign for United States Senate," McMorrow said in a video posted to social media Sunday.

• McMorrow did not endorse Stevens or El-Sayed, but said "whoever wins this primary on Aug. 4 will have my full support."
• Stevens and El-Sayed both released statements praising McMorrow, whose name will remain on the ballot.

Catch up quick: McMorrow rocketed to national fame in 2022 with a fiery state Senate floor speech defending LGBTQ+ kids after a Republican colleague accused her of wanting to "groom and sexualize children."

• She built her Senate bid on that profile as a fighter and was the only candidate to vow she'd oppose Chuck Schumer as party leader.
• But the primary came to be dominated by Israel, where she struggled to hold a middle lane: El-Sayed ran as a champion of Palestinian rights and Stevens as a self-described "proud pro-Israel Democrat" backed by AIPAC, leaving little room between them.

What's next: El-Sayed said in a video reacting to McMorrow's announcement, "The question to all of us now is this: Are we willing to allow AIPAC, big corporates, Chuck Schumer … to choose who our Democratic nominee is?"

• Stevens said in her statement that she is "excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I'm the strongest Democrat to defeat" likely GOP nominee Mike Rogers.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.