ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — With less than 24 hours until polls open for Michigan's 2026 midterm election, candidates are making their final push for votes in two of the state's most closely watched races.
Republican Congressman John James and Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are facing off in the race for Michigan governor.
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Meanwhile, the closely contested U.S. Senate race between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is drawing national attention, particularly after a political shakeup over the weekend.
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost to El-Sayed in the August primary and had previously endorsed him, publicly threw her support behind Rogers during an appearance at Perfecting Church on Sunday.
That development comes as Rogers and El-Sayed make their closing arguments to voters.
El-Sayed held one of his final campaign events Monday afternoon at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, where he was joined by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Rogers is expected to campaign in Rochester Hills Monday night.
Voters weigh economy, health care and education
Across Metro Detroit, voters are making their voices heard ahead of Election Day.
"I just wanted to make sure that I got my vote in and that my candidate is winning," Detroit voter Thomas Hardiman said as he dropped off his ballot.
For Tiauna Haynes of Detroit, affordability was a major consideration as she cast her ballot.
"The affordability. Making sure the candidates care about the economy," Haynes said. "And also I'm about to be a young mom and a new mom at that, so just making sure education was something that the candidates value."
Takeyla Haynes said she wants voters to remember that every ballot can make a difference.
"Your vote does matter. I don't care what anybody tells you, your vote matters," she said. "Just because you think your one vote isn't going to matter, it's going to matter."
Other voters pointed to health care as a major concern.
"I think it is ridiculous that we live in a country that is so advanced and our healthcare system is so broken because it's privatized, because people are profiting off of people getting sick," Royal Oak voter Ted Strunck said. "That's a huge issue for me."
Ashley Legato of Royal Oak said becoming a mother has shaped how she's thinking about the future.
"I'm a new mom and I really want this country to be a place where I can raise my boys to be good people," Legato said.
Stevens endorsement shakes up Senate race
Stevens' decision to endorse Rogers has become another talking point in the closing days of the Senate campaign.
"I mean, I have a lot of thoughts, but I do think it was really surprising that someone would want to continue to sow division," Mallory Lectka of Madison Heights said.
Hope Carmona of Birmingham, an El-Sayed supporter, questioned the motivation behind the endorsement.
"I feel like honestly that's the money speaking," Carmona said. "The people are behind Abdul's message because it is for the people."
When asked what separates the two candidates, Samantha Francis of Pleasant Ridge said she was concerned by the tone of Rogers' campaign.
"I think what worries me is that his campaign was so negative and very much fear-mongering," Francis said. "And I think right now we need voters and people of Michigan pushed together instead of everyone feeling separated."
Rogers responded to Stevens' endorsement Sunday, arguing it shows that some Democrats are willing to support his campaign.
"Democrats for Rogers is real, and it's growing," Rogers said. "There is a chorus of Democrats around this state saying that Abdul is too extreme."
Rogers also said his conversations with Stevens focused on finding common ground.
"We talked about America, what was best for Americans, what was better for the future of our state by bringing people together," Rogers said.
El-Sayed responded to the development Sunday but sought to shift the focus away from Stevens.
"At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens at all," El-Sayed said. "I'm more worried about the 9,999,998 people that are not those two. I'm just less interested in the politics of it all."
At his Royal Oak rally Monday, El-Sayed did not address Stevens' endorsement of Rogers and told reporters he wanted to focus instead on issues facing voters and what he would prioritize if elected.
Could the endorsement make a difference?
Aaron Kall, director of debate and a political analyst at the University of Michigan, said early voting could limit how much a late development changes the race.
"I think now with the advent of early voting that kind of mitigates a lot of the damage that it may cause," Kall said. "So many people have already determined who they're going to vote for. There's also a lot of partisanship. But in a race so close, it could always make a difference."
With Election Day Tuesday, both campaigns are continuing their final push as Michigan voters decide who they want representing the state in Washington.
