Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers for Senate

Democratic U.S. Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s open Senate seat on 1 November 2026, two days before voters cast ballots. She appeared with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit and later posted a video stating that Democratic nominee Abdul 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,” Stevens said. She added that she does not stand with Hasan Piker, a commentator who had campaigned with El-Sayed earlier. Stevens described herself as still a proud Democrat and said her mother had already voted for Rogers.

Stevens lost the August Democratic primary to El-Sayed. The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm had supported her. After the primary she had publicly backed El-Sayed, but the relationship deteriorated over an outside advertisement that linked U.S. military aid to Israel with rising grocery prices. Stevens called the ad antisemitic and demanded El-Sayed disavow it. He rejected its contents but the dispute continued.

Rogers, the Republican nominee, said he was honored by the endorsement. He described it as standing together against hate. The Michigan race is competitive and could affect control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority. Betting markets on Kalshi shifted after the announcement, with El-Sayed’s odds declining several points.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement a despicable betrayal. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said it betrayed the party’s values. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel labeled Rogers a rubber stamp for President Trump’s agenda. El-Sayed told reporters he did not think about Stevens and focused on his own campaign.

Stevens had been expected to attend a unity event with El-Sayed and Representative Jim Clyburn. Instead she joined Rogers at the church on family and friends day. She later told reporters she changed her mind after El-Sayed made clear she was not needed. Her fiancé Jason Turkish had already said he would vote for Rogers.

The seat is open because Senator Gary Peters is retiring. El-Sayed won the primary despite Stevens’ institutional support. The late cross-party endorsement has drawn national attention and disrupted Democratic efforts to present a united front in the final days. Rogers has sought to appeal to Black and Jewish voters in the Detroit area.

Stevens represents a Michigan House district and has been in Congress since 2019. Rogers previously served in the House and is the Republican standard-bearer. The election is set for 3 November. Early voting has already occurred in many places. The endorsement does not change the ballot, but it has generated local and national coverage of the party’s internal divisions.

Democratic leaders have reiterated support for El-Sayed. Some colleagues have called for Stevens to face consequences within the party. She has not indicated any change in her own House re-election plans. The practical effect on turnout or voter preference in Michigan remains to be measured after the votes are counted.

The sequence began with primary bitterness, continued through the advertisement dispute, and ended with a public break two days before Election Day. Both campaigns continue to hold events. Rogers has highlighted the endorsement as evidence of broader dissatisfaction with the Democratic nominee. El-Sayed’s team has framed the race around issues rather than the internal fight.