Just days before the election, Democratic U.S. House Representative Haley Stevens endorsed her former primary rival Abdul El-Sayed’s opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, in Michigan’s Senate race, following tensions over rhetoric.
The Michigan Senate contest shifted overnight following a stunning political defection in Detroit. Stevens, a centrist congresswoman who lost the Democratic nomination to progressive former public health official Abdul El-Sayed in an August primary, appeared alongside Rogers at a local church service and formally threw her support behind the Republican candidate.
How a Disputed Church Service and Outside Ads Triggered the Break
The fracture materialized over the weekend after weeks of simmering tension between the two Democrats. Stevens had demanded that El-Sayed publicly denounce a campaign advertisement from an outside liberal group blaming Israel for high grocery prices in the United States. While El-Sayed criticized the advertisement and stated he had nothing to do with it, tensions escalated further when El-Sayed’s campaign indicated Stevens was no longer welcome at a scheduled joint get-out-the-vote appearance.
Originally, Stevens was set to appear alongside El-Sayed and South Carolina Representative James Clyburn at a Detroit church event meant to project party unity. Instead, the details of the event were altered, and Stevens chose instead to attend Perfecting Church in Detroit alongside Rogers and his wife, Kristi.
As you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate today.
Rep. Haley Stevens, via Associated Press
Stevens also cited her refusal to stand with streamer Hasan Piker, whom El-Sayed had campaigned with during the primary cycle. El-Sayed had previously sought to distance himself from Piker after controversial remarks regarding support for Israel.
Party Backlash and Reactions Across the Political Spectrum
The endorsement sent immediate shockwaves through national and state political circles. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced the move on social media, calling it a despicable betrayal. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel echoed that condemnation, stating that Stevens had abandoned everything she claimed to care about.
Inside Stevens’ congressional office, the fallout was immediate. Her communications director set an automated email reply indicating he was no longer working for the office as of Sunday, and several former campaign staffers publicly criticized her actions.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spoke with Stevens after her endorsement and encouraged her to stay safe and keep speaking the truth.
The Stakes for Control of the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s Midterms
The race to succeed retiring Gary Peters is one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the country. Democrats must achieve a net gain of four seats to flip control of the Senate for the final two years of Trump’s second term. Losing Michigan, a seat currently held by Democrats, would severely complicate that path.
While the seat has historically leaned Democratic—with the last Republican victory occurring in 1994—Michigan remains a vital swing state in presidential cycles, having voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024.
When asked by reporters about the endorsement outside a Souls to the Polls event in Detroit, El-Sayed dismissed the intraparty drama, emphasizing that voters are focused on bread-and-butter economic issues.
At the end of the day, I don’t think about Haley Stevens. None of this matters. You know what matters. You can go, like, 15 minutes that way, or 15 minutes that way, or 15 minutes that way. And there are families who are preparing to send their kids to schools tomorrow that look like they did 50 years ago. They’re worried about what they’re going to feed their kids for lunch.
Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, via NPR
Early voting has been underway since October 24, meaning a significant portion of ballots had already been cast before the public rupture between the primary rivals took place.
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