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Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Race
Confirmed
In Short: Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, surprising many and raising questions about her motives.
Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, a move that stunned many and disrupted the final days of a closely watched race. Stevens, who is not Jewish, had previously described herself as a staunchly pro-Israel candidate, a stance that resonated with Israel's lobby but not with Michigan Democrats, where she lost to Abdul El-Sayed in August.
Stevens's endorsement of Rogers came less than 48 hours before Election Day, and it was widely seen as a betrayal to the Democratic Party. Her shift from endorsing El-Sayed to Rogers was attributed to her fiancé, Jason Turkish, who reportedly played a significant role in her decision. Turkish, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said he made up his mind to vote for Rogers following the first Michigan Senate debate and felt he 'couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t speak up'.
Pro-Israel super PACs spent over $30 million supporting Stevens and attacking El-Sayed, often without mentioning Israel directly. This financial backing was a key factor in the race, with most of the funding going to support Stevens against El-Sayed. The Michigan Democratic Senate primary race was one of the most expensive in recent American elections, highlighting the influence of pro-Israel donors in the political landscape.
A New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday, conducted before Stevens’ announcement, showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 53% to 42%. However, Stevens' endorsement of Rogers disrupted the race, and El-Sayed's campaign reported raising $1.2 million in just four hours after Stevens' announcement, indicating the significant impact of her decision.
Stevens cited moral reasons for her endorsement of Rogers, stating that she could not support El-Sayed after he refused to meet even the most minimal standard for opposing antisemitism. She appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church and said her vote for Senate would go to him, rather than to Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrat who defeated her in the August primary. Stevens emphasized that her decision was not political but a moral one, reflecting her stance on antisemitism in El-Sayed's campaign.
Stevens' endorsement of Rogers was met with mixed reactions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, a staunchly pro-Israel Democrat, called Stevens' move a 'despicable betrayal.' Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said he believed the endorsement would certainly help Rogers in the midterm elections. Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign, however, requested that Stevens not attend a campaign event alongside him, citing tensions over an ad attributing rising costs to US support of Israel.
Stevens' decision to endorse Rogers was seen as a reflection of the influence of pro-Israel donors in the Democratic Party. Her actions were entirely in line with the pro-Israel donors who had supported her candidacy, despite her loss to El-Sayed in the primary. The endorsement was widely interpreted as a slap across the face to Michigan Democrats, who chose Abdul El-Sayed over Stevens to run as their party’s candidate in the general election.
Stevens' endorsement of Rogers was a significant development in the Michigan Senate race, highlighting the complex dynamics between political loyalty, moral convictions, and the influence of foreign lobbies in American politics.
What this adds
Stevens's endorsement of Rogers was a surprise move that disrupted the race and raised questions about the role of pro-Israel donors in the Democratic Party.
Background
Democratic Rep Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, surprising many.
What's confirmed
- The Michigan Democratic Senate primary race was exceedingly expensive, even by the standards of modern American elections, and most of that funding went to supporting Haley Stevens against Abdul El-Sayed.
- Haley Stevens’s surprising decision to abandon the Democratic Party and endorse Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate running for Senate in Michigan, was widely interpreted as a slap across the face to Michigan Democrats, who chose Abdul El-Sayed over Stevens to run as their party’s candidate in the general election.
- Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign said it raised $1.2 million in four hours after Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, as a political feud disrupted the final days of one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races.
- Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) is sticking by her cross-party endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race despite Democrat Abdul el Sayed’s victory in the contest.
- “Hey, Michigan, as you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away,” Stevens said in a video.
What's still developing
- (October 30, 2026) Stevens had also called on her former Democratic Senate primary rival to remove a campaign ad featuring Tucker Carlson.
- Cooper focused on what prompted her reversal after Rep. Debbie Dingell said Stevens had assured her Saturday night that she would not support Rogers.
- Stewart added to his lamentations by showing news clips of Stevens opposing Rogers and his political stances; “Mike Rogers has shown that he’s just going to go along with whatever Donald Trump does. He’s not going to speak out when erratic tariffs are impacting our auto industry,” she said.
- “Abdul made very clear that I was not welcome in his campaign, that he didn’t need me there, that he didn’t want me there, and at some point, you got to look at who’s standing for country,” Stevens said after joining Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit.
- Earlier in the day, Stevens attended a church service in downtown Detroit with Rogers, which was captured by local reporters.
- What drove Haley Stevens to endorse the Republican she once vowed to defeat?