Haley Stevens backs Republican Mike Rogers in tight Michigan Senate contest

Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's closely contested US Senate race on Sunday, November 1, escalating her dispute with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed just days before Tuesday's election. Stevens, who lost the party's Senate primary to El-Sayed, appeared unexpectedly with Rogers at a church before announcing her support in a video on X.

Stevens said El-Sayed had made clear that he did not want her involved in his campaign. The two had been expected to attend another event together on Sunday, but he reportedly asked her to stay away. Speaking to reporters after the church service, she described the election as very close and said the Democratic nominee had told her he did not need or want her there.

Their public disagreement had involved an advertisement produced by an outside liberal group that blamed Israel for high food prices. El-Sayed criticised the advertisement and denied any involvement in its content. Asked about Stevens' decision to support Rogers, he said his attention was on the difficulties facing Michigan residents, telling reporters: "At the end of the day, I don't think about Haley Stevens."

Analysts consider Michigan's Senate contest among the closest races in Tuesday's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years. It is one of several battleground races central to the Senate outcome. A retiring Democrat currently holds the seat, which Republicans last won in 1994. Michigan has also swung between parties in presidential elections, supporting Joe Biden in 2020 and Donald Trump in 2024.

Rogers welcomed the endorsement outside the church, describing Stevens' decision as showing "courage". President Trump also praised her on Truth Social, saying her action demonstrated loyalty to Michigan's people. Many members of Stevens' staff reportedly resigned immediately after she announced her support for the Republican.

Democratic leaders sharply criticised the move. Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens had abandoned the causes she claimed to support and rejected efforts to divide the party. Senator Chuck Schumer called the endorsement "a despicable betrayal" on Sunday and reaffirmed Senate Democrats' support for El-Sayed, saying he would defend working families' economic interests.

Other Michigan Democrats had urged Stevens over the weekend to stop the feud and offer clearer support for the party's candidates. State Senator Mallory McMorrow, speaking on MSNow, questioned whether Stevens was putting her own feelings ahead of Michigan residents. The dispute follows a bruising primary in which El-Sayed, a left-wing outsider, defeated Stevens, who had establishment support.

In downtown Detroit, where people were eating lunch or heading to Ford Field for a Detroit Lions game, every Democrat interviewed by the BBC expressed disappointment. Student Summer Lawrence, 21, viewed the endorsement as a betrayal of the party and Stevens' stated positions. Voter Matthew Barera also questioned her reasoning. Rogers supporter Marissa Lee doubted the announcement would persuade voters to change their minds.

The primary and subsequent conflict have exposed disagreements about the Democrats' direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election. El-Sayed, a former public health official and son of Egyptian immigrants, has drawn on grassroots frustration with Washington politics and US ties to Israel. Stevens represents a more centrist position and had backing from figures including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer during the nomination contest.