A closely watched U.S. Senate race in Michigan has been thrown into turmoil just two days before the midterm elections, following reports that Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) has thrown her support behind Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
The apparent reversal comes after an increasingly bitter dispute between Stevens and Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who narrowly defeated her in the party’s primary earlier this year.
Stevens had previously endorsed El-Sayed and publicly expressed her desire to keep the Senate seat in Democratic hands.
But on Sunday, the congresswoman appeared alongside Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit, marking a dramatic development in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate.
The two attended a family and friends service at the church on Detroit’s east side, accompanied by Rogers’ wife, Kristi, and Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish.
The appearance followed days of escalating tensions between Stevens and El-Sayed over campaign messaging involving Israel and economic concerns in Michigan.
Those disagreements had already derailed a planned Democratic unity event scheduled for Sunday.
The gathering was supposed to feature Stevens, El-Sayed and Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina in a final effort to encourage voters before Election Day.
Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan had also been involved in organizing the event.
Instead, the appearance was canceled after disagreements surrounding an advertisement produced by Rebellion PAC, an outside political organization unaffiliated with El-Sayed’s campaign.
The advertisement connected American financial assistance to Israel with rising grocery prices in Michigan.
Stevens condemned the messaging as antisemitic and demanded a stronger response from El-Sayed.
The Democratic nominee maintained that his campaign had not produced the advertisement and that he disagreed with its contents.
That explanation apparently failed to satisfy Stevens.
On Friday, the congresswoman issued a pointed criticism of her former primary opponent.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics. He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford,” Stevens declared.
She also argued that distancing himself from the advertisement was not equivalent to explicitly condemning it.
El-Sayed’s campaign subsequently asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining campaign events, citing concerns that the dispute had become a distraction.
Dingell later acknowledged advising Stevens against attending the planned joint appearance.
She described the controversy as a “total distraction” and said it had upset the church’s bishop.
The political fallout extended into Stevens’ personal life.
Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, publicly announced that he intended to vote for Rogers, citing concerns about El-Sayed’s response to campaign rhetoric involving Israel and the Jewish community.
Stevens subsequently acknowledged that her household was politically divided.
During an appearance on CNN in late October, she maintained that she wanted the Democratic nominee to win, while acknowledging that some voters remained undecided over the controversy.
Her appearance with Rogers on Sunday nevertheless signaled a significant public break from the Democratic campaign.
Addressing economic opportunities for Black-owned businesses during the church service, Stevens discussed the importance of investment and appeared to praise Rogers’ policy direction.
“And that’s the policy that Mike’s going to take on,” she said.
The appearance was reported as an endorsement of Rogers, although the account did not provide a separate direct quotation in which Stevens explicitly announced that she was switching her endorsement.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Michigan Democrats.
Recent public polling averages cited in the report showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by approximately four to five-and-a-half percentage points, although several individual surveys indicated a closer contest.
With control of the Senate at stake, the dispute has shifted attention away from the candidates’ policy platforms and toward divisions within the Democratic Party.
Stevens had attempted to move beyond the controversy late Saturday, issuing another statement expressing appreciation that El-Sayed had disavowed the Rebellion PAC advertisement, per Trending Politics.
She concluded that statement by urging voters to cast their ballots.
But less than a day later, her appearance alongside Rogers created fresh questions about where her political support ultimately stood.
For El-Sayed, the development represents an unwelcome distraction in the final stretch of a competitive campaign.
For Rogers, the public association with a prominent Democratic congresswoman offers a striking image of division within his opponent’s party.
With Election Day set for Tuesday, November 3, Michigan voters will soon determine whether the last-minute controversy has any effect on the race.
Regardless of the outcome, the dispute has transformed what was intended to be a final demonstration of Democratic unity into one of the campaign’s most unexpected developments.
