A Stunning Defection on the Eve of the Midterm Elections
In a dramatic development that has shaken the balance of power on Capitol Hill, US Representative Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers for the United States Senate in Michigan. The move comes as a severe blow to the campaign of her former Democratic primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, just two days before the election.
Stevens shocked party officials on Sunday by appearing alongside Rogers at a Detroit church service. In a video posted to X, Stevens declared: “I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the US Senate. Today, I do not belong to Abdul’s campaign.” Her support for the Donald Trump-endorsed candidate follows weeks of mounting tensions and an uninvitation from a scheduled joint campaign event with El-Sayed, who had defeated her by a slim margin in the August primary.
“Who we are as Michiganders is not hate, and [that] is not what we are getting out of our Democratic nominee right now,” Stevens stated regarding her decision.
Policy Divisions and the Unraveling Truce
For months following the primary, Stevens had refused to openly campaign for El-Sayed, mirroring fellow primary opponent Mallory McMorrow. Although top Democrats eventually brokered a truce, leading to a tepid endorsement from Stevens and plans for a joint appearance at a predominantly Black church in Detroit’s North End, the fragile arrangement quickly collapsed over deep policy divisions.
The central fracture stemmed from their disagreement over Israel. Late last week, Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, conditioned her appearance alongside El-Sayed on his denunciation of an outside group’s campaign ad blaming US support of Israel for the rising cost of living. El-Sayed declined, accusing Stevens of reopening settled primary debates. The disagreement prompted El-Sayed’s campaign to formally disinvite Stevens from closing-day events.
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell later told CNN she informed Stevens that the joint appearance was “not working,” noting that the tensions created an unnecessary distraction. Earlier on Sunday, Stevens had released a statement expressing an expectation for El-Sayed to win and urging people to vote, only to appear with Rogers hours later, highlighting potential future investments in Black businesses.
Immediate Backlash and Fallout Within Democratic Ranks
Stevens’s endorsement triggered an immediate and fierce backlash from national and state Democratic leaders, who condemned the move as a betrayal.
Neera Tanden, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, wrote on X that standing with Rogers was a betrayal of Stevens’s career and supporters, while expressing hope for an El-Sayed victory. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel slammed the decision, arguing that campaigning with Rogers—whom he accused of selling out the working class, supporting a national abortion ban, and backing Trump’s agenda—demonstrated that Stevens had abandoned her stated principles.
The fallout also reached inside Stevens’s congressional office. According to reports from CNN correspondent Manu Raju, several campaign and office staffers quit following the endorsement, including long-time chief of staff Justin German and communications director Logan Basch.
Additional scrutiny focused on Stevens’s personal circle. Her fiance, Jason Turkish, a vocally pro-Israel figure who has historically donated to Democrats, publicly condemned El-Sayed while supporting Rogers and making donations to Republican candidates like Susan Collins.
Amid the firestorm, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a message of unity without naming Stevens directly, reaffirming Senate Democrats’ backing of El-Sayed. Schumer contrasted El-Sayed’s economic focus with Rogers, whom he labeled a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors, while condemning what he termed racist, Islamophobic, and false attacks from Republicans.
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