Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan threw her support Sunday behind Republican Mike Rogers in the state's open U.S. Senate race, abandoning her party's nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, just ahead of Tuesday's midterms.
The seat is central to Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate. Stevens lost the primary to El-Sayed by roughly a percentage point and endorsed him afterward, but apart from one unity event, the two never campaigned together.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called her move a despicable betrayal. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Stevens of dangerously betraying Michigan families.
Curtis Hertel, who chairs the Michigan Democratic Party, said Stevens was not a party member and would not be one in the future. Her longtime chief of staff said he and many other aides had resigned.
Obviously there are sour grapes from the election, but there is no reasonable explanation for this.
Curtis Hertel, Michigan Democratic Party chair
El-Sayed's campaign said the rupture brought in more than $2.4 million, a fundraising record, with more than 26,000 people donating for the first time on Sunday.
How the rift formed
The break traced back to an ad from an outside group that tied U.S. support for Israel to rising grocery costs. Stevens labeled it antisemitic and demanded El-Sayed condemn it.
El-Sayed said his campaign did not make the ad and that he disagreed with it. His campaign then told Stevens to stay away from its remaining events.
In backing Rogers, Stevens pointed to El-Sayed's ties to streamer Hasan Piker, whose comments about Jewish people and Israel drew backlash in August. She has also said El-Sayed did too little to reassure the Black and Jewish voters who supported her in the primary.
Last-minute denials
Stevens described the endorsement as a personal choice limited to one race and said she still wants Democrats to win the majority. On Monday she likened herself to Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who often breaks with his party.
I'm not trying to harm anyone. I worked really hard for Democrats. I'm not turning my back on Democrats. It is this one vote.
Haley Stevens, Democratic U.S. representative
Several Democrats said Stevens had assured them until the end that she still supported El-Sayed. Rep. Debbie Dingell said Stevens told her around midnight Saturday that talk of a Rogers endorsement was a rumor and untrue.
Hours later, Stevens stood beside Rogers at a Detroit church service. Rogers said she phoned Sunday morning as he drove to church, and he denied offering her anything in return, saying his campaign had no advance notice.
President Trump praised the endorsement and, at a Sunday rally in Dubuque, Iowa, urged Stevens to join the Republican Party. Asked about his praise, Stevens noted she had impeached him twice.
El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim U.S. senator, said he does not think about Stevens at all. A public poll released Sunday showed him ahead 53% to 42% among likely voters, while Rogers said his internal numbers show a tie or a two-point lead for himself.
