WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders are weighing whether to banish Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan from their caucus following her unexpected endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers for Senate, a decision that has deepened divisions within the Michigan delegation and sparked outrage among colleagues.
Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, appeared at a Detroit church on November 1 alongside Rogers and her fiancé Jason Turkish before announcing her endorsement of the Republican nominee. The move came despite Stevens having endorsed El-Sayed after he won the primary three months earlier.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the caucus will discuss next steps on Stevens after Election Day. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a prominent member of the delegation, called the endorsement a 'terrible betrayal' and said it was 'galvanizing many communities' behind El-Sayed.
"You're seeing a backlash," Dingell said. "It's galvanizing many communities." The endorsement triggered an outpouring of anger from Democrats, including former Rep. Susan Wild, who wrote on social media that 'any woman who abandons her friends when a new guy comes along is no friend at all,' and University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who said he has become 'deeply troubled' by Turkish's behavior.
Stevens and Turkish, a disability rights lawyer and political donor, became engaged during the Senate primary. Former campaign staff have described Turkish as overbearing and controlling, though Stevens has denied he influenced her decision, attributing talk of his influence to misogyny faced by female politicians.
The endorsement has effectively banished Stevens from the Michigan Democratic Party, with her name erased from the party's website. Two politically aligned Democrats have called for her expulsion from the House Democratic caucus for her final months in office. Dingell told colleagues she has urged Stevens not to make the situation worse, saying: 'Please don't make more drama, give it more attention.' As she put it: 'We need to focus on winning tomorrow, and that's where our focus needs to be.'
Stevens, in an interview, said she is 'exiting stage left' and accepts her political career may be over. The episode underscores the tensions between progressive and moderate wings of the Michigan Democratic Party and the personal dynamics that can shape political decisions in high-stakes races.
