Senate Race: Stevens Endorses Republican Rogers

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday, a decision that surprised party leaders and occurred just hours before voters cast ballots in Michigan. Stevens announced her support while standing beside Rogers at a church service in Detroit, effectively withdrawing her backing for the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.

Rogers stated that Stevens called him on Sunday morning while he was driving to church. He said he invited her to the service, where she decided to publicly align with his campaign. Rogers described the endorsement as a moment where Stevens prioritized the country over her party affiliation. He noted that his campaign had no prior knowledge of her decision and that she did not request any specific concessions in exchange for her support.

Top Democrats reacted strongly to the split. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the move a despicable betrayal. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California accused Stevens of dangerously betraying Michigan families. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan said she spoke with Stevens around midnight Saturday, when Stevens denied that reports of an endorsement were true.

Tensions between Stevens and El-Sayed had risen in the final days of the race. Stevens had pressed El-Sayed to condemn an outside advertisement that linked support for Israel to rising grocery prices, a message she characterized as antisemitic. El-Sayed’s campaign later asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining events. Although Stevens did not explicitly endorse El-Sayed after losing the primary, she maintained that she was still on the team for Democrats.

Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, a registered Democrat and attorney, had already signaled a break with the party. Turkish told reporters at a Rogers event that he would vote for the Republican, citing El-Sayed’s rhetoric on Israel. He described his choice as putting the country before the party.

Rogers addressed a New York Times/Siena poll released Sunday that showed El-Sayed leading him 53 percent to 42 percent among likely voters. Rogers rejected that margin, stating that his internal polling showed the race tied or within two points. He argued that the national survey underestimated his support among Black voters in Detroit. Stevens previously questioned why El-Sayed had not delivered a speech to the Black community, a gap she noted in an October interview.

Rogers accused Democratic opponents of attacking Stevens for her decision. He stated that the criticism was intended to punish a member of the party for choosing a candidate who represented a less divisive political stance. He emphasized that Stevens was voting Democrat in every other race on the ballot.