Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed her Republican rival, Mike Rogers, in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections.
His endorsement came in a video posted to X after he attended an event with Rogers at the predominantly black Perfecting Church in Detroit on Sunday. Stevens’ endorsement was the culmination of an escalating feud between the former primary rivals that has upended one of the most hotly contested Senate elections of the cycle.
This endorsement was immediately rebuffed by Democrats, who condemned Stevens for his “betrayal.”
Neera Tanden, former senior advisor to President Joe Biden, wrote on
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman 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 pledged to vote loyally for Trump’s agenda – shows that she has abandoned everything she cared about. We reject attempts by Stevens and bad faith actors to divide our party and undermine our momentum, and we will not allow not that these last-minute distractions deter us.”
Some of the people who worked for Stevens’ campaign also reportedly resigned after his support of Rogers. His longtime chief of staff, Justin German, and his communications director, Logan Basch, were among those who left, according to CNN correspondent Manu Raju.
Stevens narrowly lost in this year’s primary and refused for months to openly campaign for El-Sayed, as did his other opponent Mallory McMorrow. But leading Democrats had brokered the truce between El-Sayed and Stevens. After the two clashed viciously during the primary campaign, Stevens gave him lukewarm support, and this weekend he was scheduled to join El-Sayed at a predominantly black church in Detroit’s North End.
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Those plans quickly fell apart over an issue that divided Stevens and El-Sayed perhaps more than any other: Israel.
Later last week, Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, made clear that her appearance alongside El-Sayed was conditioned on her denouncing an outside group’s ad campaign that blamed U.S. support for Israel for the rising cost of living. El-Sayed declined the request, accusing Stevens of needlessly reopening debates after a settled primary.
As the feud intensified, El-Sayed’s campaign went further, formally disinviting Stevens to participate in his campaign events in the final days of the campaign. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan congresswoman, later told CNN that she was the one who told Stevens “this isn’t working” during Stevens’ appearance with El-Sayed on Sunday. Dingell added that tensions between the two were a distraction and that “there’s nothing to be gained by them both being in the same place.”
Earlier Sunday, Stevens released a statement saying she expected El-Sayed to win and was telling people to vote. But hours later, she appeared with Donald Trump’s Senate pick and said in a comment that she supported Rogers’ alleged future investment in Black businesses.
As the violent political storm rages, Democratic commentators also pointed out that Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, was publicly condemning El-Sayed while supporting Rogers. Turkish, who is also openly pro-Israel, has donated heavily to Democrats in the past, but this year he has also donated to Republican candidates, including Susan Collins.
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not name Stevens but issued a message of unity.
“Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed because we know he will fight for the economic interests of Michigan’s working families, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors. We Democrats are also united in our utter revulsion at the Republicans’ false, racist, Islamophobic, and over-the-top attacks on Abdul. These attacks are proof of the complete bankruptcy of the Republican Party today, resorting to ugly and over-the-top fear-mongering. anti-American because they have nothing to offer on the issues that concern people today.
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