WASHINGTON — Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens announced her endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers for Senate just 48 hours before Michigan's general election, reversing her primary campaign against Abdul El-Sayed and triggering a sharp rebuke from party leaders.
The reversal, which centers on Israel policy, came after Stevens failed to stop El-Sayed in the August primary, where he won by less than one percent. In the months since, Stevens — who faced about $30 million in spending by Aipac and affiliated groups to defeat El-Sayed, the group's largest ever investment in a single race — demanded that El-Sayed distance himself from a supporters' advertisement linking U.S. financial support for Israel to rising grocery costs. El-Sayed explicitly rejected the advertisement's contents, stating it was not produced by his campaign, but the dispute had turned personal.
Stevens was originally scheduled to appear with El-Sayed and Rep. James Clyburn at a predominantly Black Detroit church on Sunday. Instead, she released a statement attacking El-Sayed over alleged antisemitism and his associations, and was told she was no longer welcome at campaign events.
In a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, Stevens struggled to explain what changed between her assurances to fellow Democrats the previous evening and her endorsement the following morning. "This is just a weight off my shoulders," she said, repeatedly returning to El-Sayed's supposed anger and "lack of kindness." Cooper pointed out that the criticisms she was making had been known for some time, including when she had agreed to campaign with him.
Democratic leaders were unified in their condemnation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement "a despicable betrayal." Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel declared Stevens was no longer a member of the party and would not be in the future. Stevens's fiancé, Jason Turkish, a pro-Israel lawyer, also endorsed Rogers.
The contrast in Senate races is notable. El-Sayed ran on a platform of money out of politics, financial relief for households, and Medicare for All, while arguing that U.S. military aid to Israel should be redirected to domestic priorities. He has repeatedly affirmed his commitment to Jewish safety while condemning antisemitism. A May New York Times/Siena poll found 74 percent of Democratic voters oppose further military and economic support for Israel, putting Stevens's position at odds with the broader party.
Meanwhile, Rogers, a Trump-endorsed Republican with a record of voting for abortion restrictions, was apparently skeptical of Aipac's support of his campaign, but the group reportedly spent $9 million to support him after Stevens lost to El-Sayed. Drop Site News reported a number of ties between his campaign and the Israeli government.
Donald Trump celebrated the endorsement, calling Stevens "highly respected" and suggesting she should join the Republican party. El-Sayed's response was concise: "I actually don't think about Haley Stevens."
The episode underscores a deepening rift within the Democratic party over Israel, even as voters across the spectrum voice concern about the U.S.-Israel relationship. A United Nations independent commission of inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, and Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley concluded after a fact-finding mission that Israel was pursuing a systematic campaign to destroy and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza.
Stevens, who tweeted "Medicare for all. NOW." in 2018, now opposes the proposed system of universal healthcare and has consistently taken corporate PAC money, positioning her at odds with El-Sayed on signature issues. But she chose Rogers anyway, tying herself closer to the Republican camp on a issue that has come to define her political persona.
