Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers for Senate

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat on November 1, 2026, two days before Election Day. Stevens, who narrowly lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, appeared with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit before posting a video endorsement on social media.

In the video, Stevens said El-Sayed had told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign and that she should stay away. “And he’s right,” she said. “And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.” She added that “who we are as Michiganders is not hate” and that she did not stand with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who had campaigned with El-Sayed earlier.

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 Stevens’s full demand. By Sunday morning, Stevens contacted Rogers and confirmed her support. She told reporters she remained a Democrat and believed her party could still win the Senate majority.

Rogers said he was honored by the endorsement. He described it as a statement against hate rather than a simple political calculation. The pair’s appearance at the predominantly Black church gave Rogers a visible photo opportunity in a race both parties treat as decisive for Senate control. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.

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. Some Jewish Democrats in the state also criticized Stevens for backing El-Sayed’s opponent.

Stevens lost the primary despite support from the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm. She had initially endorsed El-Sayed after the primary but later said she had been booed off stages at unity events. El-Sayed’s campaign maintained that the primary was over and that Stevens was not a focus of his final days.

The Michigan seat is open because Senator Gary Peters is retiring. Polling had shown a close contest between El-Sayed and Rogers. Stevens’s late cross-party endorsement injects new uncertainty into turnout calculations, particularly among Black voters in Detroit and Jewish voters who have watched the feud over Israel policy. Whether the move shifts measurable support will become clear only after ballots are counted on Tuesday.

Both campaigns continued their closing arguments. El-Sayed focused on economic issues and party unity. Rogers highlighted the endorsement as evidence of broader dissatisfaction with the Democratic nominee. The race remains one of the few that could determine which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.