U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan, announced her engagement to Jason Turkish less than a month after her loss in the state's Senate primary election. Turkish, a longtime friend and campaign donor to Stevens, is a managing partner at Nyman Turkish PC, a law firm specializing in disability and discrimination claims. He is also the grandson of Holocaust refugees.
The couple plans to travel to Israel in the coming days. Turkish, whose father was born in Israel, stated that the recent events have been an "eyes-wide-open moment for the Jewish community and for me." They intend to meet with survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack during their visit.
Stevens and Turkish first met in 2022 through Stevens' Senate campaign chair, David Kramer. Their relationship developed during Stevens' primary battle against Abdul El-Sayed, whom she narrowly lost to. Stevens, 43, told the Detroit News that their friendship naturally evolved into love, citing shared values and a commitment to Michigan.
Turkish has contributed over $50,000 to Stevens' congressional and Senate campaigns since 2023, according to Federal Election Commission records. During the primary campaign, El-Sayed had criticized Stevens for the significant financial support she received from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) super PAC.
Stevens also faced backlash from some activists at the Michigan Democratic Party convention due to her pro-Israel stances. Turkish described the boos she received from some attendees as an act of "anti-Zionist hate."
The couple has not yet set a wedding date. This will be Stevens' second marriage; she divorced her ex-husband Rob Gulley in 2022.