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Michigan Rep Haley Stevens Endorses GOP Senate Candidate Mike Rogers
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In Short: Democratic Rep Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, surprising many.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens shocked colleagues by endorsing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan's race against Democratic nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, she announced Sunday.
Stevens said her vote for Senate would be with Rogers, explaining, '90% of the votes I'm going to cast are going to be for Democrats. My vote for Senate is going to be with Mike Rogers. And I will tell you why. Because we have to stand with country.'
El-Sayed, in a press conference, dismissed Stevens' endorsement, saying, 'At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens.' He emphasized his focus on the majority of Michigan residents, stating, 'This is a state of 10 million people who deserve a lot better from the government. I'm a lot more focused on the 9,999,998 that are not the ones you guys are talking about,' citing issues like gas prices, grocery costs, and air and water quality.
President Donald Trump praised Stevens for her endorsement, calling it 'great and almost unprecedented loyalty' to Michigan. Stevens, however, remains a 'very proud Democrat' who loves Michigan but could not support El-Sayed due to his backing from political streamer Hasan Piker.
Stevens' endorsement marks a dramatic reversal from her previous stance. She had previously said her priority was defeating Rogers, regardless of who won the Democratic primary. In recent days, a dispute arose after Stevens asked El-Sayed to disavow an ad from an outside group she deemed antisemitic.
El-Sayed's campaign reportedly told Stevens to stay away from his events, as reported by POLITICO. Stevens responded by endorsing Rogers, citing her moral concerns.
Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, also endorsed Rogers, citing concerns about El-Sayed's rhetoric toward Jews and Israel. Turkish appeared at a Rogers event Wednesday night in Birmingham, Michigan.
Stevens' endorsement has drawn strong reactions from both sides. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a 'despicable betrayal,' while Rogers' campaign posted a photo of Stevens and Rogers standing side-by-side at a service.
Stevens' decision comes as the feud between Democratic rivals El-Sayed and Stevens has intensified, with only a few days left until the midterm elections.
Former President Barack Obama is also supporting Democratic candidates for governor and Senate in Michigan, planning to release ads and make campaign stops soon.
Background
Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens stunned colleagues by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democrat, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate, citing her disagreement with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
What's confirmed
- Democratic U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan's race for the U.S. Senate against Democratic nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, she said Sunday – a stunning move after Stevens had previously said she would support El-Sayed.
- President Donald Trump lavished praise on Stevens in a social media post Sunday for endorsing Rogers, saying in part that Stevens showed “great and almost unprecedented loyalty” to Michigan in doing so.
- "At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens," El-Sayed said of her endorsement Sunday in remarks to the press after the service, alongside Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C), who attended the service with him.
- "Senate Democrats are united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed, because we know he will fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan, unlike Mike Rogers, who is a tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors."
- However, in recent days a new dispute spilled out into the open after Stevens had asked El-Sayed to disavow an ad from an outside group that she said was antisemitic.
- "This is a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York wrote in a post on X.
- "I did endorse the Democratic nominee, and he chose to close his campaign by saying I wasn't welcome… This is about looking in the mirror about how real Democrats for Rogers are."
- "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 posted on social media Sunday.
- Stevens said she remains "a very proud Democrat" who loves Michigan but could not support El-Sayed, citing his backing from political streamer Hasan Piker.
- Trump: "Her following is huge, and the level of respect from the People of Michigan, especially our African American and Jewish populations, is virtually unparalleled. Haley said what few people are willing to say” President Trump applauded Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., for endorsing Mike Rogers for Senate.
- “And he’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” she said.
What's still developing
- El-Sayed and Stevens faced off in an acrimonious primary, but had seemingly mended fences afterward.
- “I know @HaleyforMI way better than most people on X,” Wild, 69, wrote on X.
- Stevens, who represents a large Jewish district in suburban Detroit, unloaded on El-Sayed Friday in a series of interviews with the New York Times published early Saturday morning.
- "Wow, this is BIG. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a Highly Respected Democrat, who narrowly lost in the Primary to Abdul Mohamed El-Sayed, and who has been breathlessly wined and dined by the Dumocrats to help in their Michigan Campaign for the United States Senate against Mike Rogers, has just ENDORSED Mike Rogers for Senate!" he wrote on Truth Social.