Abdul El-Sayed (D) defeated Mike Rogers (R), Douglas P. Marsh (G), Lydia Christensen (L), Walter Kristy (Natural Law Party in Michigan), and Timothy Long (U.S. Taxpayers Party) in the general election for U.S. Senate in Michigan on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Gary Peters (D) did not seek re-election.
The U.S. Senate race was central to determining which party controlled the chamber. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 53-45 majority. President Donald Trump (R) won Michigan 49.7%-48.3% in 2024. In 2020, former President Joe Biden (D) won the state 50.6%-47.8%. Michigan's last Republican senator was Spencer Abraham, who left office in 2001.
Beyond control of the Senate, political commentators said the election could have served as a bellwether for the state of progressive politics nationwide. BBC's Anthony Zurcher said the election "will provide perhaps the most dramatic, high-stakes test of whether a left-wing candidate [El-Sayed] can win a general election race in a true battleground state."
El-Sayed's criticism of U.S. aid to Israel and Rogers' alignment with Trump may have affected the outcome of the election. Bridge Michigan's Lauren Gibbons wrote that continued criticism of Israel and AIPAC "could get more complicated as El-Sayed works to win Jewish Democrats." Some Democratic and independent Jewish civic groups, such as Michigan Jews Against Extremism, endorsed Rogers, while others, such as Michigan Jews for Democracy, endorsed El-Sayed. Gibbons also wrote that "Rogers has closely aligned himself with President Donald Trump despite flagging popularity." Quoting Matt Grossmann, the director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, Gibbons added, "Despite running unopposed in the Republican primary, Rogers 'needed to be as close to Trump as possible' to maintain his appeal with some GOP voters. But [Grossmann] noted Rogers may still benefit from his past congressional record and that 'he showed no signs of Trumpism before needing Trump support.'"
El-Sayed was a public health official, epidemiologist, and podcast host. He was the director and health officer for the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services from 2022 to 2025 and the executive director and health officer for the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017. El-Sayed said, "I literally wrote the book on Medicare for All because healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. ... I will sponsor legislation to enact M4A and eliminate medical debt nationwide. M4A guarantees comprehensive coverage, eliminates co-pays and deductibles, and lowers overall costs through reducing administrative waste and negotiating drug prices."
Rogers represented Michigan's 8th Congressional District from 2001 to 2015. He also served in the Michigan Senate, representing District 26 from 1995 to 2000. Rogers' other work experience included serving in the U.S. Army, as a special agent for the FBI, and as a cybersecurity professional. Rogers said, "I’ll always put America and Michigan first. That means bringing manufacturing jobs back home, lowering the cost of gas, groceries, & prescription drugs, protecting seniors’ social security & medicare, and setting our kids up for success by prioritizing education not indoctrination."
The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in the 120th Congress. Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats were up for election, and another two seats were up for special election. Democrats held 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans held 22.
At the time of the election, Republicans had a 53-45 majority in the chamber.
This was one of 11 open U.S. Senate races in 2026 in which an incumbent was not running for re-election. Across the country, four Democrats and seven Republicans were not running for re-election — more than any year since 2012. In 2024, eight incumbents — four Democrats, two Republicans, and two independents — did not seek re-election.