Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens crossed party lines Sunday and endorsed Republican Mike
Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race just two days before Election Day. The dramatic reversal came after Stevens narrowly lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed and initially pledged to support him in November. Stevens announced her endorsement after appearing alongside Rogers at a Sunday service at Perfecting Church in Detroit. “Our Democratic nominee for Senate
said I was no longer welcome on his campaign and that I should stay away,” Stevens said. “And he’s right,” Stevens continued before announcing that she was endorsing Rogers for the United States Senate. Rogers, a former Republican congressman and House Intelligence Committee chairman, previously came within roughly 19,000 votes of winning Michigan’s 2024 Senate
election. The extraordinary endorsement immediately intensified Democratic infighting surrounding one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests. Stevens had been scheduled to attend a separate church event Sunday with El-Sayed and other prominent left-wing Democrats before plans changed. Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan said Stevens was asked not to attend after tensions surrounding
the appearance became a distraction. El-Sayed’s campaign had also asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining campaign events through Election Day.
The dispute escalated after Stevens criticized an outside political linking American support
for Israel with higher grocery prices. Stevens called the antisemitic and demanded that El-Sayed condemn it, while his campaign stressed that it had not produced the spot. El-Sayed subsequently said he disagreed with the ’s contents while objecting to repeated demands that he condemn statements from outside supporters. The dispute became part of broader tensions
involving Israel and allegations of antisemitism that have followed the Democratic nominee throughout the campaign. Stevens has also expressed concerns about rhetoric from some prominent El-Sayed allies and supporters, including left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. Piker responded angrily to Stevens’ endorsement Sunday, attacking her motives and accusing her of being excessively focused on Israel. Lefty activist
David Hogg similarly called Stevens a “traitor” and demanded that Democrats who previously supported her denounce the congresswoman. The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur, whose Rebellion PAC produced the disputed , also attacked Stevens after she announced her support for Rogers. The backlash demonstrated how quickly the Michigan Democratic feud expanded beyond the two Senate candidates
and into the party’s competing ideological factions.
Stevens’ longtime chief of staff resigned following the endorsement, while additional departures
from her operation were expected. Top national Democrats also condemned Stevens’ decision, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel similarly blasted the endorsement as party leaders scrambled to contain the fallout immediately before voting concluded. Stevens’ endorsement was particularly notable because she had publicly maintained support for El-Sayed following their
bitter August primary. Just days earlier, Stevens had stopped short of enthusiastically embracing El-Sayed during a CNN interview but still described herself as part of the Democratic team. Stevens’ fiancé, attorney Jason Turkish, had already announced that he would vote for Rogers rather than El-Sayed. Turkish, a Jewish Democrat, cited El-Sayed’s rhetoric surrounding Israel and
argued that the Democratic nominee had failed to adequately confront hatred. Stevens’ former campaign chairman David Kramer had also announced his intention to support Rogers before the congresswoman made her own decision. Republicans quickly celebrated Stevens’ endorsement as evidence that Rogers was attracting support beyond the GOP’s traditional coalition. President Donald Trump praised Stevens during
a Sunday campaign rally and said he would welcome her switching parties entirely.
El-Sayed largely brushed aside questions about the endorsement, saying his campaign remained
focused on Michigan voters and issues including living costs. The former Wayne County health director emerged from the Democratic Party’s far-left socialist wing and narrowly defeated Stevens in their August primary. More than 1. 8 million Michigan voters had already cast ballots by Monday morning, meaning Stevens’ endorsement arrived after substantial early voting. Still, the
endorsement gives Rogers a high-profile Democratic supporter during the campaign’s final hours and highlights unresolved divisions surrounding El-Sayed’s nomination.
