DETROIT (AP) — Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s former opponent in the U.S. Senate primary, Haley Stevens, appeared with Republican Mike Rogers at a church service in Detroit on Sunday as tensions within the party boiled days before the election that could determine the balance of power at the Capitol.
Stevens’ show of support for President Donald Trump’s backed candidate in the hotly contested race comes after she was not invited to a joint event the same day with El-Sayed, who defeated the congresswoman by a narrow margin in the August primary.
Stevens criticized El-Sayed’s comments regarding Israel. Her fiance said last week he would vote for Rogers, saying El-Sayed had not done enough to address the concerns of the Jewish community.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote in a statement Friday. “He can start by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan can’t afford. »
Miles away, El-Sayed appeared with a group of prominent national and Michigan Democrats at a separate church service. They are trying to present a united front, but days of public bickering have overshadowed their efforts.
Stevens was initially ready to join candidate and U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina at a church event. Those plans failed after a dispute over Israel and an outside group’s campaign advertising escalated into a public exchange of criticism between the rivals.
Debbie Dingell, the Michigan congresswoman who helped organize the planned joint appearance in hopes of bring together the democrats in the final days before Tuesday’s vote, said she asked Stevens not to attend and that Stevens told her she would comply.
“I was the one who took it down because it became too distracting,” Dingell said in a telephone interview. “This is not how I was going to spend my weekend before the election, to be quite frank. »
“The bishop was upset, because this is a real church service,” Dingell added.
The latest, overdue infighting comes as Democrats seek to increase turnout among black and Jewish voters in key strongholds. El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, is in a tight race with Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, for the seat held by Democrat Gary Peters, who is retiring. Keeping Michigan in Democratic hands is critical to the party’s efforts to secure a majority for the final two years of Trump’s second term.
Stevens and her team did not respond to repeated requests for comment about whether she would attend the service. Late Saturday evening, she released a statement saying she was happy to see El-Sayed disagreeing with the content of the outdoor ad.
“Whenever someone tries to pit us against each other, we have an obligation to stand up and fight back,” Stevens wrote in a statement that ended with: “Go vote!”
Dingell and other Democrats insist the party is united behind El-Sayed, who, if elected, would be the nation’s first Muslim senator. Early voting has been underway since October 24, before the latest tensions erupted. But the new wrangling has complicated Democrats’ efforts to deliver a unified final message in crucial regions such as Detroit, where turnout could prove decisive.
“All you want to talk about is Abdul and Haley and we really need to talk about the issues people should be voting on Tuesday,” Dingell said. She added of El-Sayed’s Republican opponent: “Mike Rogers loved every minute of it.” »
Tensions are particularly prominent in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, and neighboring Oakland County. Stevens defeated El-Sayed in both counties in the August primary, drawing support from black and Jewish voters who make up important parts of the Democratic coalition.
How did we get here?
THE Democratic primary has been among the most bitter this year. Each candidate accuses the other of launching personal attacks. Tens of millions of dollars in outside spending poured into the race, including from the super PAC, affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which supported Stevens. El-Sayed was particularly offended by an outside group’s ad accusing him of disrespecting women.
Although Stevens pledged after the primary to help El-Sayed as much as she could, the two have not appeared together publicly since a unity breakfast two days after her summer victory.
Their lack of joint appearances was particularly notable as some Jewish voters and leaders continued to criticize El-Sayed for his comments on Israel, his past rhetoric and his campaign appearances with controversial streamer Hasan Piker.
The divisions were on public display again Wednesday when Stevens’ fiance told the Detroit News he would vote for Rogers. Hours later, Stevens appeared on CNN to reaffirm her support for El-Sayed, but urged her campaign to “stop the hate and denounce it.”
Dingell had worked to bring them together at church alongside Clyburn, one of the nation’s most prominent black Democrats.
But on Friday, after The Associated Press reported on the planned joint appearance, Stevens issued a lengthy statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn an ad from a left-wing independent group that linked U.S. support for Israel to high food prices.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote. “He can start by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan can’t afford. »
El-Sayed then responded: “So while Congresswoman Stevens seems determined to revive a primary that ended three months ago, let’s all focus on the task at hand. »
He repeated Saturday evening that the ad was not produced as part of his campaign and “I do not agree with the content of this ad.”
Michigan Democrats insist on unity
Despite the latest tensions, El-Sayed planned to make a series of church visits Sunday alongside Clyburn and other prominent black Democrats.
Participants will also include U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Garlin Gilchrist II, the candidate for secretary of state, and several Michigan bishops, according to campaign notices obtained by AP.
Democrats are seeking to boost turnout in Detroit, where about three-quarters of residents are black and strong support is critical to Democratic success statewide.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” Dingell said.
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Cappelletti reported from Washington.
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