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Map the Midterms2026 midterms information · not official

U.S. Senate

Michigan U.S. Senate — 2026 (Class 2)

Michigan’s open Class 2 Senate seat is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who won the August Democratic primary, faces Republican Mike Rogers, a former U.S. representative.

Cook Political Report: Tossup (August 20, 2026)

What this office is

Each state elects two U.S. senators. A senator’s term is six years. Class 2 seats are on the regular 2026 cycle. The Senate writes and votes on federal legislation, confirms many presidential nominees, and tries impeachments. The winner of a November general election takes office only after the state’s official canvass and the new Congress is seated.

Why it matters in 2026

Cook Political Report rated the open Michigan seat a toss-up as of its August 20, 2026 print chart. Democrats are defending a seat in a state that has swung between parties in recent statewide races. A change here would affect the 2027 Senate math. Official nominees are those certified by Michigan election authorities.

Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is not seeking another term. The Class 2 seat is open on the regular 2026 cycle.

Names below are the major-party nominees reported after the August 4, 2026 Michigan primary. Additional party or write-in lines, if any, appear only on the official ballot.

Candidates

Names below are declared or nominated figures reported as of mid-September 2026. Party labels identify tickets only. This is not an endorsement and not a certified list.

Portrait of Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed

Democratic

Democratic nominee after the August 4, 2026 primary

El-Sayed is a physician and former Detroit health director. He previously ran for Michigan governor in 2018. After winning the 2026 Democratic Senate primary he became the party’s nominee for the open Peters seat.

Read more:WikipediaBallotpedia

Photo: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / public domain. Public domain (U.S. government work). Source

Official portrait of former Rep. Mike Rogers

Mike Rogers

Republican

Republican nominee; former U.S. representative

Rogers represented a mid-Michigan House district from 2001 to 2015 and later chaired the House Intelligence Committee. He was the 2024 Republican Senate nominee against Elissa Slotkin. He is the 2026 Republican nominee for this open seat.

Read more:WikipediaBallotpedia

Photo: U.S. House / public domain. Public domain (U.S. government work). Source

Published polls

Published surveys tagged to MI SenateIndividual published surveys. Not a Map the Midterms average and not a prediction.
PollsterDatesSampleDemRepSpread
Emerson College / Nexstar
Emerson College Polling, Michigan 2026 poll · accessed September 17, 2026
Sep 12–14, 20261,000 LV · ±3.048El-Sayed46RogersEl-Sayed +2

Questions readers ask

When is Election Day?
The 2026 U.S. midterm general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting and mail-ballot calendars differ by state.
Is this the official candidate list for this Senate race?
No. Map the Midterms is not an election office. Confirm qualified names with the Michigan Secretary of State and the official sample ballot for your address.
Are the poll numbers a forecast?
No. Tables show individual published surveys with the pollster, dates, sample, and a link. They are not a prediction and not an average unless a cited aggregator says so.

Other Michigan guides