Michigan Senate Democratic primary race remains too close to call as El-Sayed holds narrow lead – US politics live

The former public health official has slight lead over congresswoman Haley Stevens, but vote count could continue well into the day

• El-Sayed holds narrow lead in Michigan Senate primary but race too close to call

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The race for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan remains too close to call early on Wednesday with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Also in Michigan, Jocelyn Benson clinched the Democratic nomination in the governor’s race and will face the John James, who won the Republican contest. Benson, the state’s secretary of state, will take on James, a congressman who received an endorsement from Donald Trump, to replace the term-limited Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in November.

Further down ballot, William Lawrence, a progressive, won a competitive three-way Democratic primary race in Michigan’s seventh congressional district. Lawrence, a community organizer who co-founded the Sunrise Movement, will now challenge Republican incumbent Tom Barrett, who has bucked his own party while in office, after he flipped the key battleground district red in 2024.

Meanwhile in Washington state, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, the two-term centrist Democrat, has advanced to the general election for her competitive US House seat. She’ll face the Republican candidate and state senator, John Braun, who is backed by Trump. The state votes on single ballots – meaning the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to November’s contest. More here.

And in Missouri, Democratic congressman Wesley Bell won his primary in the St Louis area on Tuesday, ending the progressive former representative Cori Bush’s bid for a comeback. Bell’s victory blunted the momentum pro-Palestinian candidates have shown in recent elections. In this deep-blue district, this also makes Bell the favorite to win a second term in the November election. More here.

Also in the midwest, Cindy Holscher, a state senator, won the Democratic nomination in Kansas’s gubernatorial race. She beat two other Sunflower state politicians to advance to the general election. Ty Masterson, the Trump-backed Kansas state senate president, clinched the GOP nomination in a crowded race. It’s set to be a fierce competition, as Republicans are angling to retake the governor’s mansion from Democratic control.