Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens stunned her party Sunday by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers just two days before Michigan voters choose their next U.S. senator.
Stevens narrowly lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August before initially endorsing him and promising to support the Democratic ticket. That support officially collapsed Sunday following days of increasingly bitter disagreements between Stevens and El-Sayed over Israel, antisemitism and the direction of his campaign.
Stevens announced her decision after appearing alongside Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit during a Sunday morning service. “Our Democratic candidate for Senate, Abdul, has said I’m no longer welcome in his campaign and I should step aside,” Stevens said. “And he is right,” Stevens continued before announcing, “Today I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate.”
The endorsement represents an extraordinary late defection by a prominent Democrat in one of the country’s most consequential Senate contests. Stevens emphasized that she remains a Democrat despite crossing party lines to support Rogers against her party’s nominee.
She said she remained proud of her political record and the positions she has championed throughout her career. The dramatic announcement followed Stevens’ surprise appearance alongside Rogers at Perfecting Church, where photographs showed the former primary rivals sitting together.
Stevens praised Rogers during the appearance, including his efforts involving Black-owned businesses, before publicly endorsing him afterward. The appearance came after Stevens was removed from a previously scheduled Sunday event involving El-Sayed and prominent Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell said she asked Stevens not to attend because the controversy surrounding her participation had become distracting. El-Sayed’s campaign had also asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining campaign events through Election Day. The rupture followed Stevens’ criticism of an outside advertisement linking American support for Israel with higher grocery prices.
