Jason Turkish, the fiancé of former Democratic Senate hopeful Haley Stevens, announced Wednesday that he will vote for Republican Mike Rogers in the upcoming Michigan Senate midterm election, citing Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s rhetoric regarding Israel. Turkish, who is Jewish, stated that El-Sayed’s language has made the community feel unsafe.
Turkish, who has donated significantly to Democratic causes, expressed his concerns about El-Sayed’s comments, particularly those referencing genocide and his refusal to directly state whether Iran or Israel poses a greater threat to the U.S. during a debate with Rogers. "I've just seen an escalation in [El-Sayed’s] rhetoric since the primary, and it makes folks unsafe," Turkish told the Detroit News. "Every time he talks about genocide, Jews get death threats."
He described his decision as "putting country before party," emphasizing that it was not an easy choice. Turkish, the grandson of Holocaust refugees, noted that he has "never seen a candidate for US Senate act so recklessly toward the safety of Jews in the community as we have seen from Abdul."
In response to Turkish's announcement, El-Sayed commented to reporters that the election's primary focus should be on controlling the U.S. Senate and acting as a check on Donald Trump. He added, "So if folks see another issue that is more important to them and decide that their disagreement with me on that is bigger than their agreement with me on all these other things, that is their choice." El-Sayed also stated, "We feel really strong about our ability to bring people together. There are always going to be some folks who have different opinions, and they’re welcome to that. That’s the beauty of democracy."
Turkish, managing partner of Nyman Turkish PC, a law firm specializing in disability and discrimination claims, highlighted his commitment to civil rights and the judiciary. He indicated he would attend a Rogers campaign event on Wednesday.
This development follows a similar sentiment from David Kramer, former Stevens campaign chair, who also stated his intention to vote for Rogers. Turkish and Stevens announced their engagement less than a month after Stevens' defeat to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.