Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers two days before Michigan Senate vote

Democratic U.S. Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s open Senate seat on November 1, 2026, two days before voters cast ballots in a race that could decide control of the chamber.

Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, appeared with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit on Sunday morning. She later posted a video stating that El-Sayed had told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign. “And he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” she said. She also said she did not stand with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who had appeared with El-Sayed earlier in the cycle.

Rogers, a former representative and Trump ally, called the endorsement an honour and said the two had spoken by phone that morning. He described it as a statement against hate rather than a routine political calculation. Stevens told reporters she remained a Democrat and believed her party would still win a Senate majority, but that she had never felt welcome after the primary.

The move followed weeks of public friction. Stevens had pressed El-Sayed to disavow an outside advertisement that linked U.S. military aid to Israel with rising grocery prices, which she called antisemitic. El-Sayed rejected the ad’s framing but declined to meet her demand in the form she wanted. He later said she was not welcome at a planned unity event.

Democratic leaders condemned the endorsement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “despicable betrayal.” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens had abandoned the issues she claimed to care about and accused Rogers of supporting a national abortion ban and Trump’s agenda. DNC Chair Ken Martin labelled it a betrayal of party values. Some House Democrats reportedly discussed removing Stevens from the caucus.

Michigan’s Senate contest pits El-Sayed against Rogers to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the Senate. Polls have shown a competitive race, and the late cross-party endorsement gives Rogers a visible photo opportunity in Detroit, a city where Democratic turnout is decisive. Stevens had been heavily backed by the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm in the primary; her switch undercuts that investment days before Election Day.

El-Sayed told reporters he did not spend time thinking about Stevens and that the primary was over. His campaign continued scheduled events, including one at a Detroit church on the same day. The episode has split attention inside the Democratic coalition at a moment when national party resources are focused on holding or flipping a handful of Senate seats.

The endorsement does not change the ballot, but it removes a prominent Democratic surrogate from El-Sayed’s side and supplies Rogers with an argument that some Democrats reject the nominee. Whether it moves measurable votes among Black, Jewish or suburban voters in the final 48 hours will be known only after the count.