Stevens backs Rogers in Michigan Senate race, defying party line

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican challenger Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan on Sunday, abandoning her party’s nominee Abdul El-Sayed on the eve of the general election. Stevens, who represents a suburban Detroit district with a high Jewish population, cited a rift over El-Sayed’s campaign tactics and alliances with anti-Israel figures. The decision complicates the Democratic strategy in a state that could determine control of the Senate.

The endorsement came after a volatile week for Stevens, who had previously aligned herself with El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. The friction intensified on Friday when Stevens publicly demanded that El-Sayed reject an outside political action committee advertisement. That ad blamed Israel for rising grocery prices. El-Sayed declined to condemn the spot, instead criticizing the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC for its spending in Stevens’ favor during the primary.

Stevens formalized her switch on Sunday, releasing a video message that named El-Sayed’s spring appearances with anti-Israel streamer Hasan Piker as a primary reason for her decision. She stated that she did not belong in El-Sayed’s campaign and that education was at stake in the vote. She later appeared at a joint press conference with Rogers, repeating her stance that the campaign could not stand with hate or with Piker.

Rogers used the appearance to frame the PAC advertisement as an attack on a specific group. He compared blaming a particular demographic for economic problems to events in 1933. He noted that Jewish Democrats were contacting him with concerns about keeping their children in Michigan. The Republican candidate positioned his campaign as a defense against rising antisemitism in the state.

El-Sayed responded at his own Sunday press conference, where he dismissed the endorsement and instructed reporters not to ask him about Stevens. He argued that supporting the Republican ticket meant supporting Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. He suggested that those who believe in standing up to hate should look at the Republican messaging against his campaign, which critics have said leans on fears about Islam.

The endorsement triggered immediate backlash from within the Democratic Party. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the move a despicable betrayal. Several Jewish Democratic leaders criticized Stevens for prioritizing personal grievances over the party’s electoral needs. Senator Elissa Slotkin, a moderate Democrat who is Jewish, wrote on social media that anyone making such an important election about themselves should consider whether they are serving the greater good.

Lobby groups reacted with mixed signals. J Street, a liberal pro-Israel organization that did not endorse El-Sayed, said Stevens was weaponizing real fears about antisemitism for personal grievances. The Jewish Democratic Council of America, which also had not endorsed El-Sayed, issued a statement through its CEO Halie Soifer. Soifer wrote that a vote for any Republican in 2026 is a vote for Donald Trump.

Stevens’ inner circle also fractured. Many of her staff members, including her chief of staff, resigned en masse following the announcement. Arik Wolk, Stevens’ former campaign spokesperson, described the endorsement as ridiculous and pathetic on social media. Stevens remained in office and insisted she is still a proud Democrat. Her Jewish fiancée, Democratic megadonor Jason Turkish, had announced days earlier that he would also support Rogers.

Hasan Piker, the streamer Stevens cited in her rationale, responded to the news on social media. He called Stevens a self-interested striver who was weirdly obsessed with Israel and had been paid handsomely for that obsession. El-Sayed had previously distanced himself from Piker, including after the streamer compared a heavily Jewish Michigan suburb to a KKK neighborhood earlier this week.

Stevens and Turkish are scheduled to marry, with Stevens telling The New York Times this weekend that she is considering converting to Judaism for the ceremony. The endorsement leaves Stevens supporting a candidate from the opposing party in a decisive national election. El-Sayed remains the Democratic nominee, and Rogers remains the Republican challenger. The general election is set for Tuesday.