Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stepped into the closely watched Democratic U.S. Senate primary on Friday, throwing her support behind Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) instead of Abdul El-Sayed, a former political opponent of the governor.

In a video posted by Stevens on X, Whitmer framed the endorsement around the governing message she has long emphasized in Michigan: delivering results.

Whitmer said Stevens shares her focus on doing what is necessary to produce results for Michigan residents, adding that the state needs that kind of leadership in the U.S. Senate.

The governor’s endorsement arrived just one day before early in-person voting was set to begin for the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, giving Stevens a high-profile boost at a pivotal moment in the campaign.

Stevens, who leads El-Sayed by four points in the RealClearPolitics polling average, said she was “absolutely thrilled” to have Whitmer’s support.

Posting on X, Stevens praised Whitmer as a leader who fights for Michigan and understands the importance of nominating the strongest Democrat in the race, ending her message with a call to supporters: “Let’s go win!”

Still, polling suggests Whitmer’s popularity among Michigan Democrats may not automatically translate into a decisive shift in the Senate primary.

A WDIV/Detroit News survey found that while seven in eight Michigan Democrats view Whitmer favorably, 63.2% said her endorsement would have “no impact” on their vote. Another 34.4% said they would be more inclined to support the candidate backed by the governor.

Greg Manz, a senior communications adviser with the Michigan GOP, argued Whitmer’s late endorsement demonstrates “establishment Democrats are beyond panicked” about the possibility of El-Sayed winning the primary. 

“Whitmer closing ranks behind Stevens does not change the fact that she is every bit as extreme as Abdul El-Sayed — she supports the same job-killing EV mandates, hiking taxes on working families, allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports, and dangerous policies that weaken law enforcement,” Manz said in a statement. 

“Michiganders won’t be fooled into believing Haley Stevens is any less radical than Abdul El-Sayed,” he added. “Their policies are indistinguishable, and either one would advance the same far-left agenda that would be devastating for Michigan.”

El-Sayed, who lost to Whitmer by nearly 22 percentage points in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, has secured endorsements from socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and “Squad” Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

The winner of the Democratic primary will face former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in the November general election.