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Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Stevens said she was no longer welcome in Abdul El‑Sayed’s campaign and cited tensions over Israel before backing the Trump‑endorsed candidate.

By Felo News Desk · Published

U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat who lost Michigan’s Senate primary to Abdul El‑Sayed, announced on Sunday that she is endorsing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, just two days before voters head to the polls.

What happened

Stevens appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church service on Sunday, where she posted a video on X stating she was no longer part of El‑Sayed’s campaign and would support Rogers. The endorsement comes amid a public feud between Stevens and El‑Sayed that intensified after comments on Israel and a joint event was cancelled.

What the reports add

  • Al Jazeera’s longer piece notes that the endorsement follows weeks of tension between the two Democrats over Israel, highlighting Stevens’ strong pro‑Israel stance and El‑Sayed’s criticism of U.S. aid to Israel.
  • Both Al Jazeera articles report that Stevens was uninvited to a joint event with El‑Sayed on the same day she endorsed Rogers.
  • The Los Angeles Times adds that Stevens said El‑Sayed told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign, and that she had previously criticized his Israel‑related remarks despite having said she would vote for him.
  • The Los Angeles Times also reports that Stevens’ longtime chief of staff resigned after the endorsement, with additional staff expected to follow.
  • According to the Los Angeles Times, El‑Sayed was holding a separate church service a few miles away, attempting to present a united front with fellow Democrats.
  • The Los Angeles Times notes that the Associated Press covered both services, showing the split‑screen drama.
  • Al Jazeera mentions Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, a Jewish civil‑rights attorney, who announced he would vote for Rogers and accused El‑Sayed of anti‑Semitism.
  • Al Jazeera describes Rogers as President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate.

What was said

“I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the US Senate. Today, I do not belong to Abdul’s campaign,” Stevens said in the video posted on X.
“Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”
“Who we are as Michiganders is not hate, and [that] is not what we are getting out of our Democratic nominee right now,” Stevens told Al Jazeera.

How it came about

Stevens’ primary loss to El‑Sayed in August was covered by Felo News in its September article on Mike Rogers’ campaign strategy. The October 31 Felo piece documented the escalating feud between El‑Sayed and Stevens over Israel comments, noting that both candidates planned to appear together at a Detroit church on Sunday. An October 9 debate highlighted personal attacks between the two candidates, and an October 18 report described Rogers’ break with Trump on Russia sanctions, underscoring the broader dynamics shaping the race. The feud intensified after El‑Sayed accused Stevens of trying to reopen the primary and after Stevens demanded an apology for his claim linking Israel to Michigan’s budget shortfalls.

Key facts

  • Haley Stevens, a Democrat, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers two days before the Michigan Senate election. (aljazeera.com)
  • Stevens said she was no longer welcome in Abdul El‑Sayed’s campaign. (latimes.com)
  • The endorsement was announced at a Detroit church service and posted on X. (aljazeera.com)

Timeline

Sources

Earlier coverage

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