Democratic Haley Stevens Endorses GOP Candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan US Senate Race
A reversal after a public pledge
Stevens announced Sunday that she was backing Rogers against El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate contest. As recently as the previous week, she had told CNN she would vote for the Democratic nominee and the Democratic ticket.
Stevens and El-Sayed had clashed in an acrimonious primary but appeared to have reconciled afterward. Their tensions resurfaced when Stevens asked El-Sayed to reject an outside-group advertisement that she said was antisemitic.
A disputed Sunday appearance
Stevens had been expected to appear with El-Sayed at a Black church service in Detroit on Sunday, but the joint appearance became uncertain after their dispute became public. El-Sayed attended a service at a different Detroit church.
Addressing those present, El-Sayed said he believed they were focused on the decisions of someone who was absent. He said he was more concerned with the state’s broader population and cited gas prices, grocery costs, and air and water quality as issues facing Michigan voters.
Praise and criticism follow
Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, has said he plans to vote for Rogers. He also attended an event last week with Rogers and Sen. Ted Cruz. President Donald Trump praised Stevens in a Sunday social media post, saying she showed “great and almost unprecedented loyalty” to Michigan, according to his post. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement “a despicable betrayal” and said Senate Democrats support El-Sayed.
Democratic National Committee Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins criticized Stevens in a statement released by the Michigan Democratic Party. Rollins said the party was ready to elect El-Sayed on Tuesday.
Key points
- Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after recently saying she would vote for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
- The endorsement followed a dispute over an outside-group ad Stevens called antisemitic.
- El-Sayed attended a Detroit church service at a different location than Stevens had expected to join him.
- Trump praised Stevens, while Chuck Schumer and Virgie Rollins criticized her decision.