Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has issued a strong defense of her decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers over the Democratic nominee for Michigan's Senate seat, Abdul El-Sayed, accusing her own party of intolerance and punishing dissent.
In a nearly 900-word statement titled "The Decisions We Make," Stevens addressed the backlash she received following her endorsement, which led to criticism from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the resignation of some congressional staff members. Stevens insisted her choice was "not impulsive" and "not made for me by anyone else," but rather "a decision of conscience."
Stevens, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed, also pushed back against suggestions that her fiancé, Jason Turkish, had influenced her decision. Turkish had independently announced his intention to vote for Rogers. "A woman can serve in Congress, run statewide, and fight for her convictions, and still be told that when she makes a choice people dislike, someone else must be pulling the strings," Stevens wrote. "That is sexism dressed up as political analysis. My fiancé has his own views. I have mine. I made this decision, and I am proud of it."
She outlined several grievances against El-Sayed, including campaign advertisements that she believed were divisive. One ad from an outside group supporting El-Sayed linked rising grocery prices to support for Israel, and another from El-Sayed's campaign featured Tucker Carlson, which Stevens said upset Black and Jewish voters. She also criticized El-Sayed's association with streamer Hasan Piker, whose remarks about Jewish Americans Stevens found troubling.
"Blaming Israel for the price of eggs and elevating Tucker Carlson are not the way to build trust or bring people together," Stevens declared. She concluded that El-Sayed was "not fit to serve in the United States Senate" and that she chose Rogers with the hope he would "serve in the tradition of John McCain: a senator willing to put country before party."
The statement followed a contentious CNN interview where Stevens struggled to clearly articulate the reasons for her sudden shift. Fellow Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell stated that Stevens had assured her on Saturday night that she would not endorse Rogers, only for Stevens to appear with Rogers the following morning. When pressed by CNN's Anderson Cooper about what had changed, Stevens responded, "I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart and that's that."
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, praised Stevens' move. However, Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel accused her of abandoning her principles, and Dingell described the CNN interview as "one of the most painful interviews I have watched."
Despite the criticism, Stevens expressed a desire to help rebuild the Democratic Party, stating, "There is healing to be done in Michigan, in our party, and in our country. We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort."