Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses GOP Senate Candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday, November 1, 2026, appearing alongside him at a Detroit church in a sharp escalation of ongoing intraparty fractures just days before the general election, Axios reported.

The development followed the collapse of planned joint appearances for Stevens, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, and Representative Jim Clyburn. The rift came to a head when Stevens publicly demanded that El-Sayed condemn an outside political ad linking U.S. military aid for Israel to rising grocery prices, and remove a campaign ad featuring Tucker Carlson. While El-Sayed explicitly rejected the contents of the outside ad on Saturday, the dispute prompted his campaign to tell Stevens she was no longer welcome.

“Our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he’s right,” Stevens said in a video posted to X. “And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”

A Fractured Democratic Coalition in the Final Sprint

The fallout marks a dramatic turn in Michigan politics following an August primary where Stevens narrowly lost the Democratic nomination to El-Sayed. The rivalry intensified the previous week when Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, announced he would vote for Rogers due to concerns over El-Sayed’s rhetoric on Israel. After a last-minute conversation Sunday morning, Stevens and Rogers arranged a joint appearance at Perfecting Church in Detroit, where journalist Sam Robinson captured video of Stevens praising the Republican nominee.

Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who helped organize the original unity event alongside El-Sayed, told CNN she asked Stevens not to attend because the dispute had become a distraction from economic issues facing voters. Following the endorsement, Dingell emphasized the party’s focus on affordability.

If we are going to fight to improve the lives of working men and women in Michigan, we must stay focused on electing Democrats up and down the ballot, and that includes electing Abdul El-Sayed as Michigan’s next senator. — Rep. Debbie Dingell

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly reaffirmed his backing, stating that Senate Democrats remain united behind El-Sayed because he will fight for working families, contrasting him with Rogers whom he characterized as aligned with Donald Trump and billionaire donors, as reported by CBS News.

El-Sayed Campaign Argues Stevens Endorsement Reinforces Anti-Establishment Appeal

While the endorsement provides a high-profile boost to Rogers—who praised Stevens on X as a “courageous leader” who has conducted herself with class—people close to El-Sayed argue the move could ultimately benefit the Democratic nominee.

A source close to the El-Sayed campaign told Axios that Stevens’ defection reinforces his anti-establishment appeal. The endorsement, according to the campaign’s perspective, clearly establishes El-Sayed as the candidate of change and working people in Michigan, given Stevens’ alignment with the congressional leadership and the national party’s stance on Israel.

Michigan voters will decide between Rogers and El-Sayed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in what has become a crucial test of whether the state’s Democratic coalition can reunite in time.

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