U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate in Michigan on Sunday over fellow Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in the August primary, two days before the midterm elections.4,6,7,8
Stevens appeared with Rogers at a church service in Detroit on Sunday afternoon and then announced her support for him in a video posted on X, a move that left Democrats condemning her decision in one of the most closely contested Senate races of the cycle, a contest that will help determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill.4,6,7,8
In the video, Stevens said she had been told she was no longer welcome with El-Sayed. "As you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away," Stevens said. "And he's right. That's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today."8
She also said, "I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the US Senate. Today, I do not belong to Abdul's campaign." The Daily Caller rendered a version of that line as "does not belong in Abdul El-Sayed's campaign or stand with Hasan Piker."4,8
Stevens said of El-Sayed, "What our students see, what our children see, and who we are as Michiganders is not hate and that is not what we are getting from our Democratic nominee right now," and added, "I'm still a very proud Democrat and very much believe in everything I voted for." Al Jazeera rendered the first sentence as "Who we are as Michiganders is not hate, and [that] is not what we are getting out of our Democratic nominee right now."4,8
The endorsement followed an escalating feud between the former primary rivals centered on Israel. Stevens, described as a staunch supporter of Israel, had said her planned appearance alongside El-Sayed was conditioned on his denouncing an outside group's advertisement. El-Sayed, described as a staunch critic of Israel, declined, accusing Stevens of reopening debates from the settled primary.6,8
The reports described the advertisement differently. The Guardian said it was an outside group's ad that had blamed U.S. support of Israel for the rising cost of living, while the Daily Caller said Stevens had issued a statement Friday asking El-Sayed to apologize for a campaign ad claiming that Jews are responsible for America's economic woes.6,8
Stevens had been scheduled to join El-Sayed this weekend at a predominantly Black church in Detroit's North End, after top Democrats brokered a truce following a primary in which Stevens had extended El-Sayed what was described as a tepid endorsement and both she and fellow former opponent Mallory McMorrow had for months refused to openly campaign for him. El-Sayed's campaign then disinvited her from his closing campaign events, including what the Daily Caller described as a competing church event with El-Sayed and Democratic South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn. Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell later told CNN she had been the one to tell Stevens "this isn't working" about the planned joint appearance on Sunday, adding that the tensions were a distraction and "there's nothing to be gained by the two of them being in the same place."6,8
Democratic officials responded with condemnation. Former senior adviser to President Joe Biden Neera Tanden wrote on X, "Standing with Mike Rogers is a betrayal of everything Haley Stevens has fought for her entire career. It's also a betrayal of all of her supporters that believed in her. I hope Abdul El-Sayed has a strong victory on Tuesday and that all Democrats and like-minded independents support vote for him." Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel said, "Haley Stevens' decision to campaign with Rogers - a man who has repeatedly sold out Michigan's working class, wants to pass a national abortion ban, and has pledged to be a loyal vote for Trump's agenda - shows that she has abandoned everything she claims to care about. We reject the attempts by Stevens and bad-faith actors to divide our party and undermine our momentum, and will not allow these eleventh-hour distractions deter us." The Daily Caller spelled the chair's last name as Hertil and quoted him as saying the party "stands united and fully behind Abdul El-Sayed" and that the decision "shows that she's abandoned everything she claims to care about."6,8
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's campaign account called the endorsement "a despicable betrayal" while urging unity behind El-Sayed, saying, "Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors." Two members of Stevens' staff, longtime chief of staff Justin German and communications director Logan Basch, were reported by CNN correspondent Manu Raju to have left after the endorsement. German later released a statement on behalf of the campaign team endorsing El-Sayed, saying, "As Haley Stevens' Chief of Ctaff for eight years, I speak on behalf of our team in wholeheartedly supporting Abdul El-Sayed for Senate. This election is too important to sow division or stand on the sidelines. We are shocked and heartbroken by Congresswoman Stevens' decision to support Mike Rogers."6,7
El-Sayed addressed the endorsement at a press conference outside a rally he held Sunday, the same rally Stevens had been disinvited from attending. "At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens," he said. "I'm just less interested in the politics of it all than I am in the policy of it all." He added, "If you are somebody who believes that we should stand up to hate, and you have watched this last campaign, I think we probably would not want to support Mike Rogers and Donald Trump and JD Vance."6
Trump, whose endorsed candidate in the race is Rogers, praised Stevens. "Wow, this is BIG! Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a Highly Respected Democrat, who narrowly lost in the Primary to Abdul Mohamed El-Sayed, and who has been breathlessly wined and dined by the Dumocrats to help in their Michigan Campaign for the United States Senate against Mike Rogers, has just ENDORSED Mike Rogers for Senate!" the president wrote. Earlier on Sunday, Stevens had put out a statement saying she expected El-Sayed to win and telling people to vote, but hours later she appeared with Rogers and in one comment said she supported Rogers's purported future investment in Black businesses. Democratic commentators also noted that Stevens' fiance, Jason Turkish, who is also vocally pro-Israel, has been condemning El-Sayed publicly while supporting Rogers and this year donated to Republican candidates including Susan Collins after donating heavily to Democrats in the past.4,6,7
