Veteran Democratic attorney Julian Epstein has said he will support Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan rather than Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Epstein described the move as leaving a party he believes has been overtaken by “lunatics”, highlighting tensions within the Democratic Party over its progressive wing.

Epstein previously served as chief counsel to House Judiciary Democrats and has longstanding ties to the party. His endorsement concerns Michigan’s Senate race, where Rogers is seeking to defeat El-Sayed, a progressive figure whose victory has prompted calls for Democratic unity.