Haley Stevens appears alongside GOP rival Mike Rogers at Detroit church
Haley Stevens, a Democratic congresswoman who lost Michigan’s Senate primary, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after appearing with him at a Detroit church. The move highlights divisions among Democrats and could affect a close race that may help determine control of the Senate.
Stevens said she could not support Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, citing his backing from political streamer Hasan Piker and his response to an advert she called antisemitic. El-Sayed said the advert was not produced by his campaign and that he disagreed with it. Stevens had been disinvited from a planned church event with El-Sayed after the dispute upset the church’s bishop; Rogers said her endorsement was about standing against hate.
In short
- Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Senate.
- She cited concerns about Abdul El-Sayed and antisemitism.
- The dispute has exposed divisions in a close Michigan race.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Stevens’s endorsement can be defended as a principled response to what she sees as a failure to address antisemitism clearly, particularly after an advert she objected to and El-Sayed’s association with a controversial political streamer. Her supporters may argue that voters should prioritise trust and the ability to confront prejudice, even when that means crossing party lines.
The case against
El-Sayed’s supporters can argue that he did not produce the advert and said he disagreed with it, so holding him responsible for it may be unfair. They may also see Stevens’s endorsement of a Republican as undermining the choice made by Democratic primary voters and risking Senate control, while treating support from a political streamer as a substitute for judging El-Sayed’s own record.
Explained simply
Michigan sends two senators to the US Senate, where the balance of seats can shape which party controls the chamber. In this race, the main contenders are Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed; Haley Stevens is a Democratic congresswoman who ran against El-Sayed for the party’s nomination but lost.
Stevens has said she cannot support El-Sayed over a disputed advert and his political associations. El-Sayed says his campaign did not make the advert and that he disagreed with it. The dispute has exposed a split among Democrats, while Stevens’s support for Rogers could matter in a closely contested race.