Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Race
Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed the Republican nominee, Mike Rogers, two days before the state's Senate election. Axios reported that the endorsement came on Sunday, Nov. 1, and that Stevens joined Rogers at a church in Detroit.
The move drew swift criticism from inside her own party. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a "despicable betrayal" and said Senate Democrats are united in their support for El-Sayed. Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, condemned Stevens' decision to campaign with Rogers.
Other Democrats weighed in as well. Bernie Sanders said Stevens' staff had resigned in disgust over the endorsement. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Stevens had "betrayed" working-class people by backing Rogers. California Governor Gavin Newsom said in an interview that he understood party leadership condemning the move. Representative Troy Carter also condemned Stevens' break with Democrats, and said she had once strongly opposed Rogers' Trump-style policies.
Stevens' chief of staff quit after the endorsement, according to CNN. Stevens said her team is free to share its views. CNN also reported that members of her staff had reached out to her in the week before the endorsement to urge her not to back Rogers, and that she replied to them in a text message.
Stevens has defended her decision publicly since announcing it, according to the BBC. Reuters described the Democratic primary between Stevens and El-Sayed as bitterly contested, and officials in her party were stunned by the endorsement, according to CTV News.
The race has also drawn national attention from the Republican side. On Sunday, at a campaign event in Iowa, President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to El-Sayed as a "jihadist," according to The Guardian's live coverage.
