Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is riding to the rescue of centrist Senate Democratic candidates across the map, making her latest move in Michigan, where she endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens in the party's divisive primary.

Why it matters: Senate primaries in Maine, Michigan and Minnesota are turning into proxy wars between the party's centrist and progressive wings, with divisions over strategy and ideology.

• 🔥 The conflict has spread to the Democratic caucus, with progressives openly defying Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer by propping up candidates he has passed over.
• But Cortez Masto is emerging as a leading moderate counterweight to senators challenging Schumer's judgment.

Driving the news: ModSquad, a group led by Cortez Masto that backs moderate Senate Democrats, endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in the state's Senate primary today, as we reported.

• Cortez Masto's 2026 endorsements now include moderate Senate candidates in Michigan, Maine and Minnesota.
• That puts her firmly on the opposite side of progressives, who are backing insurgent candidates.

💪 The intrigue: Cortez Masto's allies shot back at their progressive peers today, arguing they risk nominating unelectable candidates who could lose in the general election.

• "Poll after poll shows Haley is the only Democrat who can be trusted to win a competitive general election," ModSquad executive director Jennifer Mueller said in a statement.
• The party "can't take a risk on unproven candidates," Mueller added.

Zoom in: ModSquad points to its record in tough races to bolster its case.

• 🏆 In 2024, the group backed Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), all of whom won in states President Trump carried.

Zoom out: Progressives aren't just endorsing their preferred candidates — they're also deploying fundraising muscle.

• 💰 Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) hosted a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who has also secured endorsements from Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Gallego.
• 📢 Warren, in a statement this week endorsing Platner, said he was "going to flip Maine and then actually deliver change for working people in the Senate."
• In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has been endorsed by a "who's who" of the Senate's progressive wing, including seven sitting senators.

Stevens is battling state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and progressive Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Aug. 4 primary.

• McMorrow has notched support from Heinrich, Warren and Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
• El-Sayed has the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

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— Stephen Neukam

Senate Democrats are preparing to use a procedural maneuver to revive a Biden-era immigration policy — or at least get caught trying, we have learned.

Why it matters: Democrats are using the Congressional Review Act to go on offense on immigration, an issue that contributed to their defeat in 2024.

• They plan to force a vote on a CRA bill as soon as next month to reinstate automatic extensions of work permits for hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
• The goal is to get Republicans on the record on a policy Democrats argue has harmed the economy — and forced thousands of immigrants to lose their work authorizations.

🚘 Driving the news: Rosen is gathering support from the 30 senators needed to force a CRA vote.

• Last year, the Trump administration issued a rule ending the automatic renewal of work permits, effectively reversing the Biden-era policy.
• Rosen and her allies believe they have 29 session days left to collect signatures and force a floor vote before the CRA's 60-day window closes.
• The CRA resolution would be subject to a simple majority vote. If it passed, Trump would almost certainly veto it.

🔎 Zoom in: Democrats are tying the immigration rule to what they describe as Trump's broader inability to address the affordability crisis.

• "At a time when costs are going up and our economy is being weakened, this ill-conceived rule will make matters worse and hurt thousands of hard-working families," Rosen said.
• They also warn that workers and businesses will suffer as immigrants are forced out of jobs due to massive application backlogs.

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— Stephen Neukam