Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Shocker

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens stunned Michigan politics on Sunday, November 1, by endorsing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers — breaking with her own party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, just two days before voters decide one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

Stevens announced the endorsement in a video posted on X on Sunday afternoon, shortly after she appeared alongside Rogers at a service at Perfecting Church in Detroit. In the video, recorded with Rogers standing beside her, Stevens said she no longer belonged in El-Sayed’s campaign.

“Our Democratic nominee for US Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he’s right,” Stevens said. “And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”

She added: “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign. I do not stand with Hasan Piker.” Piker, a left-wing streamer, has become a lightning rod in the Michigan race over his comments about Israel and Jewish Americans, and Stevens has repeatedly pressed El-Sayed to distance himself from him.

“I love this state … and I’m here to declare who we are as Michiganders,” Stevens said in the video, describing herself as “a very proud Democrat” even as she crossed party lines.

A primary rivalry that never healed

The endorsement is the latest turn in a bitter rivalry that began in Michigan’s August Democratic primary. El-Sayed, a former public health official from Ann Arbor, defeated Stevens by less than one percentage point in a contest that exposed deep divisions inside the state Democratic Party — establishment against outsider, moderate against progressive, and sharply different positions on US policy toward Israel.

Stevens endorsed El-Sayed immediately after losing the primary, as is customary, and as recently as days ago she had reaffirmed that she intended to vote for him despite their disagreements. But the relationship between the two camps stayed frosty, and it broke down in public in the final days of the campaign.

On October 30, Stevens issued an extensive statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement from an outside political action committee that blamed American support for Israel for rising grocery prices. She argued the ad’s message unfairly targeted Israel and contributed to antisemitic rhetoric, and she also asked El-Sayed to apologise for comments he has made about Israel.

The two had been expected to appear together on Sunday at a Democratic unity church event alongside Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Instead, El-Sayed’s campaign asked Stevens not to attend last-minute campaigning, and Stevens turned up at a different Detroit church — with Rogers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Stevens told reporters at the church: “I stood with my party, and I was booed off the stage.” Her appearance with Rogers was confirmed by an aide to the Republican nominee before the endorsement video was posted.

Immediate fallout inside Stevens’ own office

The endorsement triggered immediate consequences for Stevens’ congressional operation. Her chief of staff said he and several other staffers in her House office are resigning over the decision, the Wall Street Journal reported. A request for comment sent to Stevens’ communications director, Logan Basch, generated an automatic reply stating: “Hello, as of November 1st I am no longer with the Office of Congresswoman Haley Stevens.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, condemned the move in a statement, saying Senate Democrats were “united” in support of El-Sayed.

Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, had already announced last week that he would vote for Rogers, arguing that El-Sayed’s repeated accusations against Israel and his handling of antisemitism concerns made it impossible for him to back the Democratic nominee. Turkish worshipped alongside Stevens, Rogers and Rogers’ wife, Kristi, at the Detroit church on Sunday, according to the Times of Israel.

Why Michigan matters for control of the Senate

Michigan voters will choose between Rogers and El-Sayed on Tuesday, November 3, for the state’s open Senate seat, currently held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The race is one of a handful of the most closely watched contests in the country, with both parties battling for control of the Senate, which Republicans currently lead 53-47.

According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, El-Sayed leads Rogers by 3.5 percentage points — a narrow margin in a race both parties consider winnable. A Stevens endorsement could help Rogers attract Democratic voters who are uncomfortable with El-Sayed’s positions on Israel, analysts noted, although it was not immediately clear how many voters would follow her lead.

Rogers, a former congressman and former FBI agent, lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race by less than half a percentage point. He is the Republican nominee again this cycle with President Donald Trump’s backing. El-Sayed, if elected on Tuesday, would become the country’s first Muslim senator.

The endorsement lands at a moment when the national parties are pouring resources into the final days of the midterm campaign. Michigan is not the only battleground where internal Democratic divisions have spilled into public view, but few races have produced a spectacle quite like a sitting Democratic congresswoman campaigning on a Sunday morning with the Republican nominee — and then endorsing him on video hours later.

What happens next

Both campaigns now face a final 48 hours shaped by the Stevens split. El-Sayed’s team must reassure Democratic voters that the party remains behind him, a message Schumer’s statement was designed to reinforce. Rogers’ team, meanwhile, will test whether Stevens’ backing can move the moderate and suburban voters who backed her in her own House races around Detroit.

Stevens herself faces an uncertain political future. She gave up her House seat to run for the Senate, lost the primary, and has now endorsed the Republican in the race she once hoped to win. Her staff departures suggest the cost of the decision inside her own circle was immediate — and her next move, after Tuesday’s vote, remains an open question.

For Michigan voters, the choice on Tuesday is unchanged: El-Sayed or Rogers, for a seat that could help decide which party controls the Senate. What changed on Sunday is the story of the race itself — a Democratic primary that was supposed to end in August, but instead delivered its biggest shock two days before Election Day.

Frequently asked questions

Who did Haley Stevens endorse?

Stevens, a Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on November 1, 2026, breaking with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Why did Stevens break with El-Sayed?

Stevens said El-Sayed told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign. She had also pressed him to condemn an outside group’s advertisement about Israel and grocery prices, and to distance himself from streamer Hasan Piker.

When is the Michigan Senate election?

Michigan voters decide the open Senate seat on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The seat is currently held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

How close is the Michigan Senate race?

According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, El-Sayed leads Rogers by 3.5 percentage points. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

What did Democratic leaders say about the endorsement?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the move and said Senate Democrats were united behind El-Sayed. Stevens’ chief of staff and several other staffers resigned over the endorsement.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, Times of Israel. Further reading: WSJ: Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses GOP’s Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Race; USA Today: Dem Haley Stevens endorses Republican in critical Michigan Senate race; New York Post: Stevens makes dramatic switch to support GOP rival.