High stakes 2026 Michigan primary contests take center stage on Election Day

Hotly contested primaries across Michigan on Tuesday will shape the future of both major parties in the state.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across most of Michigan. The exception is the four western Upper Peninsula counties bordering Wisconsin, where polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central time.

For those who have not yet voted through absentee ballots or early voting opportunities, Tuesday is the last day Michiganders have to vote in the Aug. 4 primary.

Michigan Advance readers can view our 2026 Voter Guide for unbiased, essential information about each candidate in key races. 

Here are the top races across the Great Lakes State:

Democratic U.S. Senate primary — Haley Stevens vs. Abdul El-Sayed

The race between U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Abdul El-Sayed, former director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services, has been one of the most watched U.S. Senate primary races in the nation. A battle of wills between the center-left establishment, represented by Stevens, and a surging progressive wave of young candidates, represented by El-Sayed, with the outcome potentially serving as a bellwether for progressive candidates in competitive states.

It could also reveal how purple of a state Michigan really is. Voters in the Great Lakes State last elected a Republican U.S. senator in 1994. However, the lone Republican in the race, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake, is endorsed by President Donald Trump and seen as the GOP’s best bet for beating the Democrats’ hold on the seat since 2001.

The choice between the two may also have implications in the national debate over which faction will assert control over the Democratic Party’s direction.

Check out Michigan Advance Senior Reporter Ben Solis’ deep dive into the race and the stakes at hand, gathered from more than a year on the campaign trail with El-Sayed and Stevens.

Republican gubernatorial primary — John James vs. Perry Johnson

Having started with a relatively crowded field — six candidates filed with the Michigan Bureau of Elections in the Republican primary — the race is now down to two: U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) and businessman Perry Johnson.

James and Johnson have been throwing campaign barbs and attacks at each other since Johnson entered the race at the start of 2026 — including a lawsuit Johnson filed in April that forced James to alter his campaign logo, as well as signature challenges traded between the two campaigns after the candidate filing deadline. 

Those attacks have only escalated as the primary approaches. Johnson has criticized James for taking campaign donations from both utility companies and data center developers, and has called him a liberal, tying him to U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids). 

James is hoping to glide to victory on name recognition, his endorsement by President Donald Trump and his record in Congress. Johnson, who has strong support from grassroots activists and spent most of his own money on the race, is aiming for a major political upset if he can beat James and move on to face the Democratic nominee in the fall.

Michigan Advance Reporter Katherine Dailey has been covering the ins and outs of the battle between James and Johnson, as well as the Democratic side of the race, which has all but been wrapped up by leading candidate and current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. You can read Katherine’s deep dive into the race here.

Democratic primaries in the 7th and 13th Congressional Districts

Much like the Democratic U.S. Senate race, the primary contests on Tuesday for the 7th and 13th Congressional Districts represent tests of whether progressive candidates can translate growing national enthusiasm into victories.

In the 7th District, representing Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties, most of Eaton County and parts of Genesee and Oakland counties, the seat is currently held by the Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett of Charlotte. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, former U.S. Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam and activist Will Lawrence are facing off to decide who will face Barrett in November.

Like El-Sayed, Lawrence is a progressive candidate who has campaigned by championing efforts to “guarantee healthcare for all” and enacting a federal moratorium on data centers. Brink and Maasdam have each tended to favor policies more toward the center. Brink seeks to extend and expand the Affordable Care Act, while Maasdam has said he wants to see data centers regulated on a local level.

Maasdam has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and also End Citizens United, a group that advocates for campaign finance reform and limiting the influence of money in politics. The senator’s endorsement holds serious sway — she represented the district before beating Rogers for the Senate seat she currently holds.

Brink has union backing — most prominently from the Michigan Education Association — and EMILYs List. She’s also been endorsed by former Michigan governors Jim Blanchard and Jennifer Granholm, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), adding a prominent progressive endorsement to her coalition.

Meanwhile, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District serves as a stronghold for Democrats and is made up of portions of Detroit, and its suburbs, including Allen Park, Hamtramck, Romulus and Wyandotte.

Currently held by U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, the incumbent is being challenged by state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who represents the city in the state Legislature. McKinney is endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and El-Sayed, along with several other national progressives, including Detroit’s own U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Thanedar does have support from key establishment Democrats, including U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and other party leaders, such as U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi).

Read more about the congressional races in play from Michigan Advance Reporter Kyle Davidson.