Schumer calls Stevens' Rogers endorsement a betrayal as her staff quits before vote

Michigan Democrats moved Sunday to isolate Rep. Haley Stevens after she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate. The endorsement came in the last days of a top battleground race that could decide which party controls the Senate ¹².

Stevens, a Democrat, lost the August primary to Abdul El-Sayed but had backed him since then. Her turn came after a dispute over an outside ad she called antisemitic ¹²³.

On tapeAssociated Press · Nov 1

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What set it off

The ad came from a group called Rebellion PAC. It linked grocery costs to U.S. support for Israel. El-Sayed's campaign says it had no part in the ad ². CBS News reports that El-Sayed said he disagrees with it ³.

NBC News reported Saturday that El-Sayed's campaign had asked Stevens to stop attending campaign events ¹. In a video, Stevens said El-Sayed told her she was no longer welcome. She added that this was why she was endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate that day ¹.

From Channel GOPEl-Sayed lays out his case against Mike RogersAbdul El-Sayed · 128 plays · captioned, with the source named

How Democrats responded

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed support for El-Sayed. In a later post on X, he called the endorsement a betrayal ². CBS reports that Schumer said Senate Democrats remain united behind El-Sayed ³.

a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens

Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan disavowed the endorsement, CNBC reports. Peters is not seeking reelection, which is why the seat is open ².

On tapeForbes Breaking News · Nov 1

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The Michigan Democratic Party's chair, Curtis Hertel, issued a blunt statement ².

Congresswoman Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future

Stevens' team is also coming apart. Her chief of staff, Justin German, said many staff members resigned, including himself, and that they support El-Sayed ². CBS reports that her longtime chief of staff resigned before the endorsement and that others were expected to follow ³.

El-Sayed brushed off the news. He said, "I actually don't think about Haley Stevens" ². Stevens said she was sorry people were upset ².

The Republican response

President Trump praised the endorsement on Truth Social, and Republicans used it to attack El-Sayed as too liberal ²³. Stevens appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church ³.

What happens next

Michigan votes Tuesday. Republicans hold a slim Senate majority, and this open seat could change that ².

A new NBC News poll shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 45% in the national fight for Congress. Voters are pushing back on the GOP more than they are embracing Democrats, NBC found ¹.

That matters because a party that holds together tends to turn out its voters. A public feud in the final 48 hours gives Republicans a message they did not have to pay for. How many Michigan Democrats follow Stevens, and how many are pushed toward El-Sayed, will not be known until the votes are counted.

The Record

1. Oct 31, 2026NBC News reports El-Sayed's campaign asked Stevens to stop attending campaign events ¹.
2. Nov 1, 2026Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers for Senate, and her chief of staff says many staff members have resigned ¹².
3. Nov 1, 2026Schumer calls the endorsement a betrayal, and Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel disowns Stevens ².

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<h2>Schumer calls Stevens&#39; Rogers endorsement a betrayal as her staff quits before vote</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/schumer-calls-stevens-rogers-endorsement-a-betrayal-as-her-staff-quits-before-vote">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Michigan Democrats moved Sunday to isolate Rep. Haley Stevens after she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate. The endorsement came in the last days of a top battleground race that could decide which party controls the Senate .</p> <p>Stevens, a Democrat, lost the August primary to Abdul El-Sayed but had backed him since then. Her turn came after a dispute over an outside ad she called antisemitic .</p> <h2>What set it off</h2> <p>The ad came from a group called Rebellion PAC. It linked grocery costs to U.S. support for Israel. El-Sayed&#39;s campaign says it had no part in the ad . CBS News reports that El-Sayed said he disagrees with it .</p> <p>NBC News reported Saturday that El-Sayed&#39;s campaign had asked Stevens to stop attending campaign events . In a video, Stevens said El-Sayed told her she was no longer welcome. She added that this was why she was endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate that day .</p> <h2>How Democrats responded</h2> <p>Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed support for El-Sayed. In a later post on X, he called the endorsement a betrayal . CBS reports that Schumer said Senate Democrats remain united behind El-Sayed .</p> <blockquote><p>a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens</p><p>&mdash; Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic leader, D-N.Y.</p></blockquote> <p>Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan disavowed the endorsement, CNBC reports. Peters is not seeking reelection, which is why the seat is open .</p> <p>The Michigan Democratic Party&#39;s chair, Curtis Hertel, issued a blunt statement .</p> <blockquote><p>Congresswoman Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future</p><p>&mdash; Curtis Hertel, Chair, Michigan Democratic Party</p></blockquote> <p>Stevens&#39; team is also coming apart. Her chief of staff, Justin German, said many staff members resigned, including himself, and that they support El-Sayed . CBS reports that her longtime chief of staff resigned before the endorsement and that others were expected to follow .</p> <p>El-Sayed brushed off the news. He said, &quot;I actually don&#39;t think about Haley Stevens&quot; . Stevens said she was sorry people were upset .</p> <h2>The Republican response</h2> <p>President Trump praised the endorsement on Truth Social, and Republicans used it to attack El-Sayed as too liberal . Stevens appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Michigan votes Tuesday. Republicans hold a slim Senate majority, and this open seat could change that .</p> <p>A new NBC News poll shows Democrats leading Republicans 52% to 45% in the national fight for Congress. Voters are pushing back on the GOP more than they are embracing Democrats, NBC found .</p> <p>That matters because a party that holds together tends to turn out its voters. A public feud in the final 48 hours gives Republicans a message they did not have to pay for. How many Michigan Democrats follow Stevens, and how many are pushed toward El-Sayed, will not be known until the votes are counted.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/schumer-calls-stevens-rogers-endorsement-a-betrayal-as-her-staff-quits-before-vote">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/schumer-calls-stevens-rogers-endorsement-a-betrayal-as-her-staff-quits-before-vote.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. NBC News, “Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend” (2026-11-01). nbcnews.com/news/us-news/weekend-rundown-november-1-rcna6065
2. CNBC, “Democratic Rep. Stevens endorses Republican Rogers over rival El-Sayed in Michigan Senate election” (2026-11-01). cnbc.com/2026/11/01/michigan-senate-stevens-rogers-endorseme
3. CBS News, “Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers amid rift with Abdul El-Sayed” (2026-11-01). cbsnews.com/news/haley-stevens-mike-rogers-together-church-a

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