Michigan Senate Race Heats Up as Stevens and El-Sayed Clash Over Campaign Ads
Days before they are scheduled to headline a joint rally in Detroit alongside senior Democratic leader Rep. Jim Clyburn, Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens traded sharp criticisms in statements released Friday, escalating tensions in the final stretch of the Michigan Senate race. The public fallout centers on an outside progressive group’s ad regarding the war in Gaza, injecting fresh friction into a high-stakes contest that the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as a toss-up.
Stevens stated that she expects El-Sayed, the progressive candidate who defeated her in a bitter Democratic primary in August, to formally condemn an ad from Rebellion PAC that she called antisemitic. That condemnation, Stevens noted, is the condition upon which she agreed to join El-Sayed on the campaign trail for the first time on Sunday.
“This ad tells Michigan families they cannot afford groceries because their money has to be set aside for ‘killing Palestinians,’ and it blames our close ally Israel for everything Michiganders cannot afford,” Stevens said in a statement.
The ad in question is set in a grocery store and suggests that Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza are directly responsible for rising consumer prices in America. Stevens sought to connect that economic messaging to comments El-Sayed has made throughout his campaign, demanding a broader apology.
On the eve of the eve of the eve of our BIG and important election, a unifying moment has arrived, our democratic nominee for U.S Senate disavows the Rebellion PAC ad made by Hasan Piker’s uncle that claims Jews are responsible for America’s economic woes. We have learned from… pic.twitter.com/y8BRiV9odX
El-Sayed is not affiliated with Rebellion PAC, and his campaign distanced itself from the group in statements to The New York Times earlier this week. In his response Friday, El-Sayed fired back, asserting that Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that concluded three months ago. He maintained that his campaign’s primary focus remains firmly on economic affordability and health care.
“That focus is why our people-powered campaign defeated a historic $70M in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC on behalf of Congresswoman Stevens,” El-Sayed said, pointing to Stevens’ backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee during the primary contest.
New @RebellionPac ad dropping in Michigan. We have to suffer here at home, so Israel can get all its wars. That’s why they buy politicians like Mike Rogers. He promised to serve Israel “unconditionally,” but never made that promise to you. pic.twitter.com/mtgVOyNczg
Uncertainty Surrounds Sunday Event Following Friday Exchange
The Friday exchange follows an apparent reconciliation between the former primary opponents, who had agreed to appear at the upcoming Detroit event with Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. This escalation lands just four days before voters decide between El-Sayed and Republican candidate Mike Rogers for the Senate seat currently central to the fight for control of Congress.
Uncertainty now surrounds the Sunday appearance. Representatives for both Stevens and El-Sayed did not respond when asked for additional comment regarding whether the two candidates still plan to take the stage together.
pic.twitter.com/NEd1uijz11
The intra-party friction has drawn reactions from other prominent Michigan Democrats. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow expressed bewilderment on CNN, stating that the current moment demands a clear recognition of the stakes in Washington. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell sought to minimize the conflict during an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW,” noting that she helped broker the joint appearance with Clyburn.
“I think that, quite frankly, a lot of people are trying to create more controversy here, when I think the real discussion should be about what’s been happening in Washington and how we’ve got to stand up to what we’ve seen in the last two years,” Dingell said.
McMorrow: "First of all, I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing. This is a moment where we have to recognize the stakes." pic.twitter.com/dRIqFqZwa9
