Stevens backs Republican Rogers in divisive Michigan Senate race

Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan, two days before a closely contested election that could help determine control of the US Senate. Stevens’ decision followed an increasingly public dispute with Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee who defeated her in the party primary. Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at a church service on Sunday instead of attending a planned unity event with El-Sayed.

In a video posted on X, she said: “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign.” She accused the Democratic nominee of promoting a politics that did not represent Michigan and announced that she was supporting Rogers. Stevens told reporters that El-Sayed had made clear she was not welcome at his campaign event. El-Sayed said he was focused on the problems facing Michigan residents and added: “At the end of the day, I don’t think about Haley Stevens.

None of this matters.” The conflict escalated after Stevens called on El-Sayed to condemn a campaign advertisement from an outside liberal group that linked US support for Israel with high prices. El-Sayed criticized the advert and said he had no involvement in it. Their dispute followed a bruising Democratic primary in which El-Sayed, a former public health official and left-wing outsider, defeated Stevens, the establishment-backed congresswoman.

Democratic figures reacted sharply to Stevens’ endorsement. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a “despicable betrayal”, while Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel said she had abandoned the values she claimed to support. Several of Stevens’ staff members reportedly resigned immediately after the announcement.

Republican candidate Rogers welcomed the endorsement and described it as an act of courage. President Donald Trump also praised Stevens during a rally in Iowa, calling her “very brave” and saying he would like her to join the Republican Party. The reports did not establish whether the endorsement would materially change the race.

The Senate contest is considered one of the closest in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The seat is held by a retiring Democrat, and the last Republican elected to it was in 1994. Michigan is also a major presidential battleground: it voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024.

Voters interviewed by the BBC offered conflicting assessments of the likely effect. Some Democrats in Detroit said Stevens’ decision was a betrayal and questioned how her views aligned with Rogers. Some Republican voters, however, said they doubted the move would persuade people who had already chosen a candidate.

The endorsement has brought divisions within Michigan’s Democratic Party into the final days of the campaign. The dispute reflects a broader argument over the party’s direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election, with Stevens representing a more centrist approach and El-Sayed drawing support from voters frustrated with Washington politics and US policy toward Israel. Despite the dispute, El-Sayed has continued presenting himself as focused on local concerns.

Stevens, meanwhile, has argued that the Democratic nominee’s campaign and affiliated messaging have crossed lines she cannot support. The election will now test whether her break with the party influences a race already expected to be decided by a narrow margin.