Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261101-193
Rep. Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race
Two days before the midterm election, the Michigan Democrat who lost the Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed threw her support to Republican Mike Rogers, exposing a deep split in a race that could decide control of the Senate.
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DETROIT — Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers over her own party's nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, on Sunday, two days before the election 12. The move stunned party officials in a race that could determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill 2.
Stevens lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed by a slim margin in August 2. She announced the endorsement in a video statement on X after attending a Detroit church service with Rogers 12.
Hey Michigan, as you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said I'm no longer welcome in his campaign, and I should stay away, and he's right
Stevens had recently reaffirmed that she would vote for El-Sayed, according to the Associated Press 2. Her longtime chief of staff resigned after the church visit, and a number of staff members were expected to follow soon, a person familiar with the developments told the AP on condition of anonymity 2.
A split-screen Sunday in Detroit
As Stevens sat with Rogers and his wife, Kristi, El-Sayed was a few miles away at another church service with fellow Democrats, the AP reported 2. He was joined by Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow 2.
From Channel GOPEl-Sayed: Trump is on the ballot as Mike RogersAbdul El-Sayed · 1.7K plays · captioned, with the source named
Dingell said she had organized a planned joint appearance to bring Democrats together and then pulled it. "I'm the one who pulled it because it had become way too distracting," she said in a telephone interview Sunday 2. She said she asked Stevens not to attend and that Stevens told her she would abide by that 2.
El-Sayed spoke for nearly 10 minutes at his service but did not address the controversy 2. "It's in churches like this, in pews like the ones in which you sit, that the foundation of my life was built," he said 2.
The tensions carry particular weight in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, and neighboring Oakland County, where Stevens defeated El-Sayed in the August primary with support from Black and Jewish voters 2. Early voting has been underway since Oct. 24 2.
Rogers and El-Sayed are competing for the seat held by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is retiring 12. El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, would be the country's first Muslim senator if elected Tuesday; Rogers is an ex-congressman backed by President Donald Trump 2.
That matters because keeping Michigan in Democratic hands is vital to the party's effort to win a Senate majority for the final two years of Trump's second term 2. The renewed bickering has complicated Democrats' efforts to deliver a unified closing message in Detroit, where turnout could prove decisive 2.
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Sources
- CNBC, “Democratic Rep. Stevens endorses Rogers over El-Sayed in Michigan Senate election” (2026-11-01). cnbc.com/2026/11/01/michigan-senate-stevens-rogers-endorseme
- PBS News, “Democrat Haley Stevens endorses GOP's Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race 2 days before election | PBS News” (2026-11-01). pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrat-haley-stevens-endorses-go
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