Haley Stevens’ endorsement stunt backfires with El-Sayed setting single-day fundraising record

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it raised more than $2.4 million in one day during the final stretch of Michigan’s Senate race, setting a record for the campaign. The surge followed Democratic Representative Haley Stevens’s endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers, drawing criticism from party leaders and attention to divisions after Stevens lost the primary to El-Sayed.

The campaign said more than 65,000 donors contributed, giving an average of $36.74, and nearly 29,600 were first-time donors. Stevens said she could not support El-Sayed, citing his backing from political streamer Hasan Piker; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called her endorsement a “despicable betrayal”. El-Sayed said he was focused on voters and policy, and has sought to distance himself from Piker over the streamer’s controversial statements.