Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Rival Mike Rogers in Senate Race

Haley Stevens, a sitting Michigan congresswoman, endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday. She made the announcement after appearing with Rogers at a church in the state. The move occurs days before the Tuesday vote in what analysts describe as one of the tightest Senate contests in the midterm elections.

Stevens lost the Democratic nomination to Abdul El-Sayed earlier this year. She told reporters that El-Sayed informed her she was no longer welcome in his campaign. "Abdul made clear that I was not welcome in his campaign, that he didn't need me there, that he didn't want me there," Stevens said. She posted a video to X stating, "I don't belong in Abdul's campaign," and added that the state's identity is not defined by the "hate" she associates with her former party rival.

The two politicians had been scheduled to appear together at a different event on Sunday. Reports indicate El-Sayed asked Stevens not to attend. Their conflict intensified over a campaign advertisement from an outside liberal group. The ad blamed Israel for high food prices. El-Sayed criticized the spot and said he had no connection to its contents.

El-Sayed responded to the news by focusing on local issues. "I don't think about Haley Stevens," he told reporters. "None of this matters." In downtown Detroit, voters reacted with disappointment. Summer Lawrence, a 21-year year old student, described the endorsement as a betrayal of the Democratic party. Matthew Barera, another voter, suggested Stevens might be acting out of frustration from her own election losses.

Republican supporters expressed skepticism about the impact. Marissa Lee, a Rogers backer, said, "People can see right through her actions, you know? She's just angry." She argued the endorsement would not change minds. Rogers accepted the support and called it an act of "courage" during brief remarks outside the church.

President Donald Trump praised Stevens on Truth Social, writing that she showed "great and almost unprecedented loyalty" to Michigan residents. In response, Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, issued a statement rejecting Stevens' decision. Hertel said the move proved she had abandoned her core values. State Senator Mallory McMorrow told MSNow that the feud appeared to be about Stevens' feelings rather than the needs of voters.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer labeled the endorsement a "despicable betrayal." He said Democrats support El-Sayed because he fights for working families, whereas Rogers is a "tool of Donald Trump and billionaire donors." Many of Stevens' staff resigned immediately following her announcement. The Michigan seat has been held by Democrats since 1994, although the state voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

Stevens is viewed as a centrist Democrat who had the support of Governor Gretchen Whitmer during the primary. El-Sayed is a former public health official and the son of Egyptian immigrants who positioned himself as a left-wing outsider. The primary battle highlighted divisions within the party regarding its direction ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.