DETROIT (AP) — Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s former opponent in the U.S. Senate primary, Haley Stevens, stunned party officials Sunday by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers after Democratic tensions boiled over days before the election that could determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill.
Stevens endorsed Rogers after attending a Detroit church service with him. The remarkable show of support for President Donald Trump's backed candidate in the
tightly contested race comes after she was uninvited to a joint event the same day with El-Sayed, who defeated the congresswoman by a slim margin in the August primary.
“Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away," Stevens said video announcing the endorsement. “And he's right. And that's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”
While Stevens has been critical of El-Sayed’s comments surrounding Israel, she had recently reaffirmed she would vote for the former public health official who would be the country’s first Muslim senator if elected Tuesday. The fallout from her visit to Perfecting Church was swift, with her longtime chief of staff resigning and a number of staff members expected to follow soon, according to a person familiar with the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.
As Stevens swayed alongside Rogers in the pews, El-Sayed was a few miles away at another church trying to present a united front with fellow Democrats. The Associated Press attended both services as the dramatic split-screen unfolded.
The latest and late-stage infighting comes as Democrats look to drive turnout among Black and Jewish voters in key strongholds. El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, is in a tight race with Rogers, an ex-congressman, for the seat held by Democrat Gary Peters, who is retiring. Keeping Michigan in Democratic hands is vital to the party’s effort to win a majority for the final two years of Trump’s second term.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., had said hours earlier.
Stevens was initially set to join the nominee and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina at a church event. Those plans unraveled after a dispute over Israel and an outside group’s campaign advertisement escalated into a public exchange of criticism between the rivals.
At the church north of Detroit, Stevens and fiance Jason Turkish worshipped with Rogers and his wife, Kristi. Turkish said last week that he was going to vote for Rogers, arguing that El-Sayed had not done enough to address the Jewish community's concerns.
The appearance stunned Democrats across the political spectrum, coming just days after Stevens publicly reaffirmed that she would vote for El-Sayed.
Meanwhile, El-Sayed attended a separate church service alongside Dingell, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the Democratic Senate primary before voting began.
El-Sayed spoke for nearly 10 minutes at the service, but did not address the latest controversy.
“It’s in churches like this, in pews like the ones in which you sit, that the foundation of my life was built,” El-Sayed said.
Dingell, a senior Democratic figure in the state who helped organize the planned joint appearance in hopes of bringing together Democrats in the final days before Tuesday's vote, said she asked Stevens not to attend and that Stevens told her she would abide by that.
“I'm the one who pulled it because it had become way too distracting," Dingell said a telephone interview Sunday before Stevens' appearance. “This is not how I was going to spend my weekend before the election, to be perfectly frank.”
"The bishop was getting upset, because this is a real church service,” Dingell added.
The latest and late-stage infighting comes as Democrats look to drive turnout among Black and Jewish voters in key strongholds. El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, is in a tight race with Republican Mike Rogers, an ex-congressman, for the seat held by Democrat Gary Peters, who is retiring. Keeping Michigan in Democratic hands is vital to the party's effort to win a majority for the final two years of Trump's second term.
Dingell and other Democrats insist the party is united behind El-Sayed. Early voting has been underway since Oct. 24, before the latest tensions erupted. But the renewed bickering has complicated Democrats’ efforts to deliver a unified closing message in crucial areas such as Detroit, where turnout could prove decisive.
“Whenever anyone tries to set us against each other, we have an obligation to stand up and fight back,” Stevens wrote in a statement late Friday that ended with: “Go vote!”
The tensions carry particular significance in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, and neighboring Oakland County. Stevens defeated El-Sayed in both counties in the August primary, drawing support from Black and Jewish voters who are important parts of the Democratic coalition.
The Democratic primary was among the most bitter this year. Each candidate accused the other of making personal attacks. Tens of millions of dollars in outside spending poured into the race, including from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated super PAC, which backed Stevens. El-Sayed took particular offense to an outside group’s ad accusing him of disrespecting women.
Although Stevens pledged after the primary to help El-Sayed however she could, the two have not appeared together publicly since a unity breakfast two days after his summer win.
Their lack of joint appearances was particularly notable as some Jewish voters and leaders continued to criticize El-Sayed over his comments about Israel, past rhetoric and campaign appearances with controversial streamer Hasan Piker.
The divisions spilled into public view again Wednesday when Stevens’ fiancé told The Detroit News that he would vote for Rogers. Hours later, Stevens appeared on CNN to reaffirm her support for El-Sayed but urged his campaign to “shut out the hate and call it out.”
Dingell had been working to bring them together at church alongside Clyburn, one of the nation’s most prominent Black Democrats.
But on Friday, after The Associated Press reported on the planned joint appearance, Stevens released a lengthy statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn an ad by an independent left-wing group that linked U.S. support for Israel to high grocery prices.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote. “He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
El-Sayed then responded: “So while Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago, let’s all focus on the task at hand.”
He repeated Saturday evening that the ad was not made by his campaign and “I do not agree with the contents of that ad.”
Despite the latest tensions, El-Sayed planned to move ahead with a series of church visits Sunday alongside Clyburn and other prominent Black Democrats.
The appearances will also include Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, Garlin Gilchrist II, the nominee for secretary of state, and several Michigan bishops, according to campaign advisories obtained by AP.
Democrats are seeking to drive turnout in Detroit, where roughly three-quarters of residents are Black and strong support is essential to Democratic success statewide.
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Cappelletti reported from Washington.
