Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Stunning Senate Reversal

Two days before American voters head to the polls, Haley Stevens dropped a bombshell. The Michigan congresswoman endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the US Senate. She did this instead of supporting her own party's nominee, Abdul El-Sayed. It is a stunning reversal in one of the most closely watched races of the midterms.

Stevens lost the Democratic primary in August to El-Sayed. He is a former public health official who could become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. Despite that bitter loss, Stevens promised to back him. As recently as Wednesday, she still wanted El-Sayed to win. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, a Jewish Democrat and civil rights attorney, had already made his move. He announced he would vote for Rogers. Turkish accused El-Sayed of anti-Semitism. He claimed El-Sayed's rhetoric on Israel and the war in Gaza made Jewish voters feel unsafe.

But Stevens changed her tune on Sunday. The split traces back to weeks of tension over Israel. These frictions became increasingly public in the final days of the campaign. Stevens is a strong supporter of Israel. El-Sayed has openly criticized Israel’s war in Gaza and US military aid to the country. Their differences shaped the Democratic primary, too. A super PAC linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent tens of millions of dollars to help Stevens.

The latest flashpoint arrived last week. An independent group backing El-Sayed, Rebellion PAC, released a controversial ad. It linked US military aid to Israel with Americans’ struggles over the cost of living. The spot shows a couple shopping for groceries. They put back a carton of eggs because they need to save that money for "killing Palestinians." Stevens called the ad anti-Semitic. She demanded El-Sayed condemn it. She also accused him of making similar arguments by suggesting funds for Israel could instead go toward schools, healthcare, and childcare.

El-Sayed pushed back. He said his campaign did not produce the ad. He disagreed with its message. He argued that Stevens was trying to relitigate their primary rather than focus on defeating Rogers. The situation boiled over on Sunday. Stevens and El-Sayed were supposed to attend a church service together. It was meant to be a show of Democratic unity. Stevens was uninvited.

"Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away," Stevens said in a video on X. She announced she was endorsing Rogers. "And he’s right.

Haley Stevens ended her Senate campaign with a blunt endorsement of Republican challenger Mike Rogers. “And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” she declared. The move sparked immediate friction within her own party. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who helped organize the event where Stevens made her announcement, revealed to The Associated Press that she had actually asked Stevens to stay away. Dingell claimed the candidate’s presence “had become way too distracting.”

Stevens didn’t hold back in her criticism of incumbent El-Sayed. She pointed directly to his association with political streamer Hasan Piker. Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur, founded the PAC that released a controversial ad. Standing beside Rogers on Sunday, Stevens told reporters, “We can’t stand with hate. We can’t stand with Hasan Piker.”

She maintained her identity as a Democrat. She plans to vote for Democratic candidates in 90 percent of the races on her ballot. But for the Senate seat, her support goes to Rogers.

The reaction from senior Democrats was swift and harsh. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer labeled the endorsement a “despicable betrayal.” He insisted Senate Democrats remain united behind El-Sayed. When asked if Stevens had betrayed the party, Schumer dismissed the question. He said he cared more about the issues facing Michigan voters than the internal drama.

“At the end of the day, I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens,” he told reporters. “I’m just less interested in the politics of it all than I am in the policy of it all.” Schumer urged voters to look at healthcare, civil rights, and the stark differences between his campaign and Rogers’s. Rogers, notably, has Trump’s backing.

The fallout hit close to home for Stevens. Her chief of staff, Justin German, announced his resignation. He and several other staff members stepped down over the endorsement decision. In a statement first shared by CNN, German wrote, “We are shocked and heartbroken by Congresswoman Stevens’s decision to support Mike Rogers.”

Donald Trump celebrated the defection. On Truth Social, he posted, “Wow, this is BIG!” He added, “Haley said what few people are willing to say. It’s a thing called bravery.”

This endorsement lands in a razor-thin race. El-Sayed and Rogers are competing to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The outcome could determine which party controls the US Senate. Republicans currently hold both chambers of Congress. Democrats hope to win enough seats to challenge Trump’s agenda and increase scrutiny of his administration.

Stevens defeated El-Sayed in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, and neighboring Oakland County. She drew strong support from Black and Jewish Democratic voters in these areas. Both counties are Democratic strongholds where turnout could decide Tuesday’s result. The central question now is whether Stevens’s endorsement will convince her supporters to back Rogers, or if it will discourage them from voting altogether.

Polling suggests El-Sayed has largely consolidated Democratic support, according to Reuters. Early voting began on October 24, well before this latest dispute erupted.