LANSING, Mich. — The United Auto Workers, a powerful labor group with hundreds of thousands of members in Michigan, endorsed on Friday Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for the state's open U.S. Senate seat and Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor. The union's backing of a progressive candidate from Ann Arbor running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal ...

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, left, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. (The Detroit News/TNS

The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

LANSING, Mich. — The United Auto Workers, a powerful labor group with hundreds of thousands of members in Michigan, endorsed on Friday Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for the state's open U.S. Senate seat and Democrat Jocelyn Benson for governor.

The union's backing of a progressive candidate from Ann Arbor running against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak in the primary could send shockwaves through the high-profile race.

"UAW members in Michigan want a fighter in Washington, D.C., who isn’t afraid to push forward a strong working-class agenda with moral clarity," a statement from the UAW said of its support of El-Sayed.

Meanwhile, Benson of Detroit, Michigan's secretary of state, is viewed as the heavy favorite for her party's nomination for governor. However, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson of Fenton, Benson's lone primary opponent, had been pushing hard for the UAW's support to bolster his underdog campaign.

The UAW sided with Benson, calling the 2026 gubernatorial election a critical race.

"As secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson has proved she’s not afraid to stand up against the most powerful billionaires in the name of working-class Michiganders across the state," a statement from the UAW said. "UAW members need that kind of energy in Michigan’s Capitol."

Michigan's current governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, can't run for reelection this fall because of term limits.

Four Republicans are running for their party's nomination: former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township, businessman Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Hills and state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township.

Only Benson, Swanson and independent candidate Mike Duggan, Detroit former mayor, participated in a forum hosted by the UAW in May. Duggan ended his campaign on May 21.

The Senate candidates are vying for a seat held by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township. Peters announced in January he wouldn't seek reelection.

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake Township is the lone Republican candidate for the Senate position.

On El-Sayed, the UAW pointed to a position that sets him apart from his Democratic rivals: He has not accepted donations from corporate political action committees. Meanwhile, automakers Ford Motor Co. and General Motors have ranked among the top donors to the Stevens campaign.

“Having never taken a dime from corporate PACs, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is someone we can trust to have our backs, including when we need it most — like come May Day 2028," the UAW statement said. "From Medicare for All to banning stock buybacks, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is ready, eager, and well-equipped to move our core issues in the U.S. Senate."

When the union held a Senate candidate forum in Washington, D.C., in February, the trio of Democrats all touted their union-friendly records for the crowd, with each agreeing to push for passage of the PRO Act to protect collective bargaining rights, safeguarding Social Security and defined benefit pension plans, supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act as well as resisting the "federal takeover" of local elections.

El-Sayed and McMorrow at that event both isolated Stevens as the only candidate on stage who accepts donations from corporate PACs for her Senate bid. McMorrow previously accepted money from corporate PACs but swore them off for her Senate run.

"Too many politicians out there tell you that they're working for the working class while too often serving two masters. I have never asked for their money. I will never ask for their money," El-Sayed said at the forum.

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