Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., attended a service at Detroit’s Perfecting Church on Sunday, appearing alongside Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers. The congresswoman's presence at the event came after she was disinvited from a planned church appearance with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who narrowly defeated her in Michigan's August Democratic primary.
El-Sayed's campaign withdrew Stevens' invitation to the event, citing the controversy surrounding an outside group's advertisement that linked U.S. support for Israel to rising grocery prices. Stevens had publicly urged El-Sayed to condemn the ad, which she described as antisemitic. El-Sayed's campaign stated that the ad was not produced by their campaign and that they disagreed with its content.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., who had helped organize Stevens' planned appearance, said the congresswoman was asked to skip the event after the dispute became a distraction and reportedly upset the church's bishop.
Following the dispute, El-Sayed’s campaign also requested that Stevens stay away from their remaining events. This internal discord within the Democratic party has placed a spotlight on the divisions in a closely contested Senate race that could influence control of the chamber.
Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, has previously endorsed Rogers, citing his inability to support El-Sayed due to the latter’s positions on Israel. Turkish had also appeared at a Rogers campaign event.
The situation highlights the intra-party tensions that emerged after the primary election, impacting Stevens' ability to publicly support the party's nominee.