Former Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday won the state's Democratic primary, defeating two progressive candidates billing her as an establishment choice.

The Associated Press called the race for Whitmer at 9:55 p.m.

As of 11:13 p.m. was leading with 50.39 percent of the vote, beating Abdul El-Sayed's 33.36 percent and Shri Thanedar's 16.25 percent.

Whitmer, known as a liberal lawmaker during her time in the legislature, faced attacks from the left from El-Sayed and Thanedar.

El-Sayed in particular had gotten the endorsement of Bernie Sanders, who won over Hillary Clinton in Michigan's 2016 presidential primary and drew comparisons between his candidacy and El-Sayed's in a speech last weekend.

Whitmer's platform includes improved skilled trades training, making changes to the education system, making health care more affordable, and the catchphrase she was perhaps most known for during the campaign: "fix the damn roads."

She was widely considered the race's frontrunner, getting in early, locking up traditionally important endorsements and consistently polling in first place among the democratic candidates.

But the race garnered national media attention as a possible upset when El-Sayed started picking up steam.

As the winner of the Democratic primary, Whitmer will face off against the winner of the Republican primary, Bill Schuette, and third-party candidates in the general election on Nov. 6.