Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers for Senate

Democratic U.S. Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat on 1 November 2026. She announced the decision in a social media video and appeared with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit earlier that day.

Stevens lost the August Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed. She had said she would support the nominee. In the video she stated that El-Sayed 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 cited the Democratic nominee's association with commentator Hasan Piker and described the campaign's direction as inconsistent with what she sees as Michigan values. Rogers called the endorsement an honor and said they had spoken by phone that morning. He framed it as standing together against hate and for the state's future.

The race to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters is one of the contests that could decide Senate control. Republicans currently hold a narrow majority. Stevens' cross-party support arrived two days before Election Day and after weeks of public friction between her and El-Sayed over an outside group's advertisement linking U.S. military aid to Israel with grocery prices. Stevens called the ad antisemitic and demanded a condemnation. El-Sayed rejected the ad's contents the following day.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel condemned the endorsement as a betrayal. He said Rogers has supported policies including a national abortion ban and alignment with President Donald Trump's agenda. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described it as a despicable betrayal. DNC Chair Ken Martin called it a betrayal of Democratic Party values. Other state and national Democrats expressed support for El-Sayed.

Stevens maintained that she remains a Democrat and that most of her votes will still align with the party. She said her Senate vote is for Rogers because of country over party in this instance. She noted that she was booed off a stage after endorsing El-Sayed following the primary. The endorsement included a joint appearance at a predominantly Black church, where she praised Rogers' support for Black-owned businesses.

Polls in the race have been close. The endorsement gives Rogers a visible Democratic supporter in the final stretch. El-Sayed's campaign had sought party unity after the primary. The public exchange over the advertisement and campaign access escalated over the weekend. Stevens said she does not belong in El-Sayed's campaign.

Rogers is a former U.S. representative. El-Sayed is a physician and former public health official. The primary was contentious, with Stevens receiving support from the Senate Democrats' campaign arm. Post-primary efforts to present a united front against Rogers faced internal strains that became public in late October and early November.

Democratic leaders moved quickly to reaffirm support for El-Sayed after the announcement. The timing, two days before voting, limits any organized response beyond statements. Early voting and absentee ballots are already in process. The effect on turnout or voter preference will be measurable only after results are tallied.

Stevens' district and prior record as a moderate Democrat shaped her primary loss to the more progressive El-Sayed. The feud over the advertisement and subsequent exclusion from events precipitated the endorsement. Rogers' campaign highlighted the development as evidence of broader dissatisfaction with the Democratic nominee. El-Sayed's team has not issued a detailed response beyond the earlier rejection of the ad.

The Michigan Senate contest has drawn national attention because of its potential impact on chamber control. Both parties have invested resources in the race. The endorsement adds a late variable that neither side fully anticipated in the final days. Voter reaction in Detroit and other urban areas, where the church appearance occurred, will be one element of the outcome.

No further joint events were announced after the Sunday appearance and video. Stevens said she loves the state and is declaring what Michiganders are. The episode closes a primary rivalry that continued into the general election campaign. Official results on 3 November will show whether the endorsement altered the contest's trajectory.