El-Sayed Campaigns in Michigan as Stevens Endorses Rogers
Former primary rival Haley Stevens backed Republican Mike Rogers Sunday, prompting a frantic voter turnout push by Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Tuesday's election.
By Layla Petrov ·
Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan Democrats moved quickly Monday to rally voters after Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers. The former primary rival announced her support for the GOP candidate during a church visit Sunday, a move that shocked party leaders and complicated the state's final stretch before Election Day.
The endorsement forced El-Sayed to refocus his campaign on voter turnout rather than internal party disputes. Speaking at Eastern Michigan University on Monday, the Senate nominee did not mention the controversy directly. He told a crowd that included Sen. Elizabeth Warren and his grandparents that the race depended on individual action. "Go vote," El-Sayed said. "There’s only one thing we can do to control the outcome."
More than 2.3 million Michigan residents had already cast ballots as of Monday. The state’s regular in-person early voting ended Sunday, with polls set to reopen statewide Tuesday. Lori Goldman, a Democratic organizer in Oakland County, noted that while half the electorate had decided, the remaining voters could still feel the impact of the defection. "For the rest, it could matter a hell of a lot," she said.
Rogers and his team treated the endorsement as a major strategic win. A person with direct knowledge of the discussions said Rogers personally contacted Stevens over the weekend. His staff did not learn of the planned joint appearance at Perfecting Church until Sunday morning. The campaign began promoting the alliance to voters immediately.
The split exposed long-standing tensions within the Democratic base regarding El-Sayed. He narrowly defeated Stevens in the August primary by approximately 14,000 votes. That contest featured sharp disagreements over Israel and the war in Gaza. Party leaders, including those who had previously criticized El-Sayed, rebuked Stevens for her reversal. They argued the move would energize their supporters rather than demoralize them.
El-Sayed’s campaign reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday, its largest fundraising day. The state party also reported a surge in door-knocking volunteers. Curtis Hertel, the Michigan Democratic Party Chair, said the endorsement would not change the election results but would galvanize Democrats. "I don’t think this changes the election results other than it galvanizes Democrats," Hertel said.
Critics within the party expressed frustration over the timing of Stevens' decision. Adrian Hemond, a strategist who planned to leave El-Sayed blank on his ballot, argued the endorsement stemmed from personal animosity rather than policy differences. "This is colossally stupid. But it has zero to do with any substance," Hemond said. He noted that if the move were purely ideological, Stevens would have made it a month earlier.
Tensions peaked following a planned unity event that Stevens skipped. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a senior Democrat close to Stevens, said she uninvited the congresswoman because their public disputes had become distracting. Stevens later told CNN that she felt a weight off her shoulders. Dingell described the interview as painful and said she had worried about Stevens all week. Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, said last week that he would vote for Rogers.
