U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) has reversed her endorsement in the Michigan Senate race, switching her support from Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to Republican Mike Rogers. The unexpected move came just days before the election, causing significant consternation among Democrats.
According to former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, a longtime friend of Stevens, the congresswoman had assured him during a dinner meeting less than 48 hours prior that she intended to reaffirm her support for El-Sayed. Blanchard recounted the conversation, stating that "something snapped in her" during the period leading up to her public endorsement of Rogers.
Stevens, who initially endorsed El-Sayed after losing to him in the primary, appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church service on Sunday and subsequently released a social media video backing his candidacy. This endorsement has been described by some Democrats as a potential career-ending move.
Prior to the endorsement shift, Stevens and her fiancé, Jason Turkish, had intensified their criticism of El-Sayed's stances on Israel, labeling some of his campaign ads as "hateful" and antisemitic. Turkish, who is Jewish and has donated to AIPAC, had endorsed Rogers himself days before the dinner with Stevens. Blanchard noted that Turkish appeared distressed by El-Sayed's campaign, telling Gongwer News Service, "He was working her over."
Stevens was expected to attend a different church service with El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Sunday, an event intended to signal party unity. However, she did not attend.
In a separate report, The Washington Post detailed that Stevens had texted Blanchard on Saturday and early Sunday confirming her attendance at the event with El-Sayed and Clyburn, expressing happiness to join them. Stevens has reportedly struggled to defend her endorsement of Rogers, whom she previously characterized as "the worst kind of politician" and a "rubber stamp" for former President Donald Trump's agenda.
El-Sayed's campaign reported its largest fundraising day on Sunday, raising $2.4 million from over 29,000 first-time donors. According to a recent poll by The New York Times and Siena University, El-Sayed leads Rogers by 11 percentage points among likely voters in Michigan.