Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sharply criticized Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) on Thursday, accusing her of aligning with Republicans since Congress reconvened, following Stevens's endorsement of former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in the midterm Senate race.
"She's been with the Republicans ever since she's come back. So she's been on the Republican side of the aisle," Ocasio-Cortez said during an appearance on The Don Lemon Show. "This is just the epitome of a certain kind of transactional politics," she added. "And it's really sad."
Stevens's last-minute endorsement of Rogers came amid a heated dispute with Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.), who defeated Rogers by more than 7 points, according to Decision Desk HQ. The feud stemmed from an advertisement that linked Israel to rising grocery prices in the U.S., which Stevens argued El-Sayed did not condemn forcefully enough.
Ocasio-Cortez framed the endorsement as a deeper betrayal, not merely a political disagreement. "This isn't just about endorsing the Republican ... this is about a betrayal," she said. "It showed that people were right in advocating for Abdul El-Sayed's candidacy in the primary over someone like Haley Stevens."
El-Sayed dismissed Stevens's switch, telling reporters, "At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens." His victory in Michigan was part of a broader Democratic wave that flipped GOP-held seats in battleground states like Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, Maine, and Iowa.
Stevens has repeatedly defended her decision, even after the election results. "I recognize that my decision has consequences. All important decisions do. I don't regret it, but I am truly sorry that it upset some of my colleagues and people I care about personally," she said. She maintained that her beliefs were "never measured by who would win at the ballot box."
The backlash from fellow Democrats was swift, with several staffers resigning shortly after the endorsement. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) advised against removing Stevens from the House Democratic Caucus ahead of the 120th Congress, signaling the deep divisions the episode has exposed within the party.
Ocasio-Cortez's comments come amid broader Democratic soul-searching about party loyalty and coalition-building. For more on her political trajectory, see her potential 2028 ambitions. The controversy also echoes similar Democratic backlash seen in other races, and highlights tensions that could shape upcoming leadership battles.
