DETROIT — In an unexpected turn of events just two days before the midterms, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a sitting Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, publicly endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate.
The announcement unfolded on Sunday when Stevens, a centrist who lost the Democratic Senate nomination to El-Sayed in the primary, appeared side-by-side with Rogers outside a church in Detroit.
A Public Fallout
Addressing the press alongside her former political opponent, Stevens explained that her relationship with El-Sayed's campaign had reached a breaking point.
"Our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he's right," Stevens said in a video statement posted to social media following the appearance.
"That's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers... I don't belong in Abdul's campaign. Who we are as Michiganders is not hate, and that's not what we are getting from our Democratic nominee right now."
Despite the endorsement, Stevens maintained that she remains a Democrat and plans to vote for party candidates further down the ballot.
Tensions between the two figures intensified over recent weeks regarding key issues, including campaign advertising linked to external liberal organizations and differences in foreign policy perspectives.
While Stevens was initially slated to attend a party unity event alongside El-Sayed over the weekend, she chose instead to accompany Rogers to a local church service.
When questioned by reporters regarding the endorsement, El-Sayed dismissed the rift, emphasizing that his campaign is focused on state policy priorities.
"At the end of the day, I don't think about Haley Stevens," El-Sayed stated on Sunday.
Backlash and Support Across Party Lines
The sudden crossover endorsement triggered immediate backlash from top Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the move a "despicable betrayal,"
while Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel declared that Stevens was no longer affiliated with the state party. Reports also indicated that several members of Stevens' Congressional staff submitted their resignations following her statement.
Conversely, Republicans quickly capitalized on the cross-party endorsement. Former President Donald Trump praised Stevens during a campaign event in Iowa, referring to her decision as "brave" and expressing openness to her joining the GOP.
Battleground Michigan
The Michigan Senate race remains one of the nation's most closely watched battlegrounds.
Michigan voters previously favored Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race before swinging toward Donald Trump in 2024, keeping the state firmly positioned as a key political bellwether.
