Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) on Wednesday urged Democrats to look past her narrow primary defeat and unite behind Abdul El-Sayed, saying the party must focus on the general election. In an appearance on NewsNation, Stevens dismissed questions about her decision to back El-Sayed despite controversies surrounding his campaign, emphasizing that the voters had made their choice.
“I’m a Democrat. You want drama in news. … Look, I’m just trying to help people. I am finishing off my last five months in Congress,” she told host Elizabeth Vargas. “I love this country. I love the state of Michigan.”
El-Sayed, a progressive and former state health director, edged out Stevens in the Aug. 4 primary, taking 48.5 percent of the vote to her 47.5 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ. The result was one of the closest contests in a cycle that has seen the party grapple with its ideological direction.
Stevens Pivots to General Election
Stevens said she is now focused on helping El-Sayed defeat former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in November, arguing that Rogers would be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s agenda. “People are going to make a personal and private decision. I am not on the ballot in Michigan,” she added.
El-Sayed has attracted support from democratic socialists, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and strategist James Carville, a notable mix that underscores the coalition he is trying to build. Stevens also pledged to support other Michigan Democrats, including Christina Hines, a former prosecutor running in the 10th Congressional District, and Rep. Hillary Scholten in the 3rd District.
When asked about the disconnect between polling and the primary outcomes in Michigan and Wisconsin—where Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong—Stevens declined to overanalyze. “We could get into all this trying to read through who the 8,000 voters were in my race or the smidge in the Wisconsin one. But I kind of agree with the gal in Wisconsin, Representative Hong, who lost, like, hey, let’s go forward and try and win,” she said.
She added, “I’m focused on things. I don’t own any of this. You know, I campaigned. It got litigated. The voters voted. We got to move on.”
Controversy Over El-Sayed Supporter
Stevens also reiterated her disapproval of political commentator Hasan Piker, who has supported El-Sayed. In June, she criticized Piker for a 2019 comment in which he said “America deserved 9/11.” “You know, I don’t agree with Piker. I don’t think he’s a part of the Democratic Party. You know, maybe Bernie can talk to him,” she said, referring to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Piker later apologized, saying, “I should have phrased things better. I apologize for those who I have offended, but most importantly, apologize for giving an opportunity to the right to just like use this against me.”
Stevens’ remarks come as the Michigan Senate race is set to be a key battleground in the fight for control of the Senate. Her endorsement, while not without friction, signals an attempt to close ranks after a contentious primary. For more on the primary dynamics, see our earlier coverage of El-Sayed's narrow win and the party's ideological divide.
