Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday dismissed the last-minute endorsement of his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, by former primary rival Haley Stevens, telling reporters in Detroit that the defection was irrelevant to his campaign.
“At the end of the day, I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens,” El-Sayed said, standing alongside Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). “This is a state of 10 million people who deserve a lot better from the government. I’m a lot more focused on the 9,999,998 that are not the ones you guys are talking about.”
Stevens, a congresswoman from Michigan, stunned fellow Democrats earlier Sunday by reversing her support for El-Sayed and appearing with Rogers at a church event. She cited El-Sayed’s earlier campaign stop with controversial far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and his decision to disinvite her from a scheduled Sunday event.
Reps. Clyburn and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) had arranged the event to bring Stevens and El-Sayed together as tensions over Israel policy simmered. Stevens had demanded that El-Sayed disavow an ad from an outside group that blamed high grocery prices on Israel and the Gaza war. El-Sayed told MS NOW that his campaign was not involved and that “I do not agree with the contents of that ad.”
Stevens also criticized El-Sayed for struggling to answer a debate question about whether Iran or Israel poses a greater threat to the U.S. A source confirmed to NewsNation that El-Sayed disinvited Stevens from the Sunday event and did not want her near his other campaign activities.
“Abdul was very clear. He said, ‘Don’t come,’” Stevens told reporters next to Rogers. “I endorsed him. I meant it when I endorsed him. I gave him a big hug.”
Several aides from Stevens’ official office, including her chief of staff, resigned shortly after her announcement. Former Senate campaign staffers also criticized her on social media. Arik Wolk, a former spokesman for her Senate bid, called the developments “ridiculous and pathetic” on X.
The endorsement roiled national and Michigan Democrats, who condemned Stevens while reaffirming their support for El-Sayed ahead of Tuesday’s general election. The race for retiring Sen. Gary Peters’ seat is tight, with a Decision Desk HQ polling average showing El-Sayed leading by nearly 5 points.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher: Mike Rogers is a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, and together they plan to continue sowing chaos and making life unaffordable for families while prioritizing their billionaire donors at the expense of Michigan families,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.
“We stand firmly behind Abdul El-Sayed, who is a fighter for Michiganders and will work tirelessly to be the champion they need in the Senate, and we reject any efforts to divide Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s crucial election,” she added.
The episode underscores broader Democratic fractures over the Middle East and ideological purity. Similar intraparty clashes have erupted in other races, such as the dispute over an Israel ad and the recent Michigan unity event that splintered. With control of the Senate at stake, Democrats can ill afford public divisions as they make their final push before Election Day.
