McMorrow Shows Signs Of Growing Strength In U.S. Senate Primary With New Polling

Michigan Advance

January 29, 2026

Although a huge number of voters remain undecided in the early days of the 2026 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, a new survey from Emerson College Polling and the Nexstar Media Group shows state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak has some momentum brewing.

In a survey of nearly 500 likely Democratic primary voters, with a margin of error of 4.4%, McMorrow netted 22% of that share, with U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) at 17% and Abdul El-Sayed just behind her at 16%.

The survey noted, however, that 38% of those polled said they remained undecided in the race, which shows the primary is still wide open as January comes to a close.

“The first Emerson College survey of the race to replace retiring Senator Gary Peters finds a close battle between the top three candidates, McMorrow, Stevens, and El-Sayed,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, in a summary of the poll’s findings. “McMorrow’s strength is among voters over 60 (37%), while El-Sayed’s is strongest among voters under 30, with 24%; Steven’s support is relatively consistent among age groups.”

For McMorrow, the survey is a big boost.

“Michiganders are ready for new leadership in Washington, and this poll reflects exactly that,” McMorrow said in a statement. “Business as usual won’t cut it, not now. That’s what we’ve heard loud and clear in every corner of the state over the last ten months of this campaign. We’re showing up everywhere – from breweries to churches to living rooms to union halls – listening to everyone, and building an agenda, and a future, worth fighting for.”

Her campaign also noted that she has been closing the gap with Stevens over the last several polls from the Glengariff Group and Global Strategy Group.

Still the open nature of the race has both the Stevens and El-Sayed campaigns unfazed.

In the case of Stevens, the representative had been the frontrunner in the race through 2025 and has been positioned across other polls as the candidate most likely to win against Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake in hypothetical matchups.

The Emerson College poll was no different, and shows that in a hypothetical matchup, voters would support Stevens at 47% over Rogers at 42%. McMorrow still fares well, though, with 46% to Rogers 43%.

Stevens also appears to hold a 13-point lead among independents against Rogers.

Stevens’ numbers against Rogers also track with other recently released polls, like the Glengariff poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV-TV, which showed they were statistically tied among independents. That poll noted both McMorrow and El-Sayed lagged with independents by 14 to 15 points.

“This poll is the latest to show what poll after poll after poll has confirmed for months: Haley Stevens is the best Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers and keep Michigan’s Senate seat blue,” said Stevens spokesperson Joetta Appiah.

El-Sayed is hardly underwater, either. The Emerson poll shows that a matchup between him and Rogers is tied at 43% with a big chunk of independents still out there.

Roxie Richner, campaign spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign, said Michigan’s next senator will be chosen by that huge group of still undecided voters, not those who already baked into their favorite candidates thus far.

“And Abdul plans to go to every corner of that state to engage folks that our politics often leaves behind,” Richner said. “Abdul is clearly the strongest candidate with young people and people of color — the voters least represented in early polling and most decisive when they turn out. While the two establishment candidates duke it out for the same voters, Abdul will be on the road expanding the electorate and empowering new voters.”

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