Representative Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, the rival of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, just days before Election Day. This move has ignited anger among Democrats, who were already attempting to unite their party following a contentious primary.
Stevens, who narrowly lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed, had initially endorsed him for the general election. However, she reversed her position, citing comments El-Sayed made about Israel and an advertisement from a PAC supporting him that she deemed antisemitic. Stevens stated, "Who we are as Michiganders is not hate, and is not what we are getting out from our Democratic nominee right now."
Her endorsement of Rogers, a former representative, is seen as a significant boost for the Republican campaign, which has been targeting Democratic voters, particularly in Black and Jewish communities, to portray El-Sayed as an extremist. While El-Sayed has consistently held a narrow lead in polls against Rogers, Stevens's switch could impact the outcome.
The backlash from within the Democratic Party has been swift and severe. More than half of Stevens's congressional staff resigned in protest of her endorsement. The Michigan Democratic Party chair declared Stevens no longer a member of the party. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called her actions "a despicable betrayal" and emphasized the party's unified support for El-Sayed.
Stevens's fiancé, Jason Turkish, an attorney and Democratic donor, had endorsed Rogers days prior and predicted Stevens would follow suit. Stevens's public criticism of El-Sayed intensified in recent weeks, particularly after a debate where he repeatedly refused to answer a moderator's question about whether Israel or Iran posed a greater threat to the United States. He called it a "ridiculous hypothetical," stating both were "kind of dangerous."
A further point of contention was an advertisement released by a pro-El-Sayed PAC that linked grocery prices to government spending on Israel and the funding of universal healthcare for Israelis, while suggesting Rogers supported "they/them" and El-Sayed supported "you." Stevens sought a more unambiguous condemnation of this ad from El-Sayed, which she did not receive to her satisfaction. El-Sayed's campaign stated Stevens was "intent on litigating a primary that ended three months ago."
Some Democrats expressed concern that Stevens's actions could be used to portray future moderate candidates as unreliable or too closely aligned with pro-Israel groups. Conversely, her endorsement could inadvertently empower the progressive wing of the party, even as it complicates El-Sayed's closing message. El-Sayed, considered a candidate from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, faces scrutiny over his electoral performance, and his outcome in this race could be interpreted through various lenses following Stevens's controversial endorsement.