By Saqib S. Qureshi — SCN NEWS
DETROIT — Democrats scrambled on Monday to contain a damaging political split in Michigan after Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers instead of her party's nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, just two days before elections that could determine control of the U.S. Congress. The unexpected endorsement followed weeks of disagreements over Israel, campaign rhetoric and the bitter Democratic primary, exposing divisions within a party attempting to regain the Senate majority. President Donald Trump and Republican leaders welcomed the development, while senior Democrats condemned Stevens' decision and sought to prevent the dispute from overshadowing their final appeal to voters.
Stevens, who narrowly lost Michigan's Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed in August, appeared alongside Rogers at a church service in Detroit on Sunday before publicly announcing her support for the Republican candidate. Her decision came on a day when she had originally been scheduled to join El-Sayed and other prominent Democrats at a separate church event intended to demonstrate party unity. Instead, the competing appearances highlighted a breakdown in relations between the former primary rivals and created a political controversy at a particularly sensitive moment in the campaign.
The congresswoman said she had decided to support Rogers after being told that her presence was no longer welcome at El-Sayed's campaign events. She had previously endorsed El-Sayed following her primary defeat and repeatedly indicated that she intended to support the Democratic nominee in November. Her reversal surprised party officials who had spent the final weeks of the campaign trying to unite Michigan's Democratic coalition behind a candidate seeking to retain a Senate seat currently held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
The disagreement intensified over an advertisement produced by an outside political group that criticised U.S. support for Israel and linked it to economic pressures facing American households. Stevens, a strong supporter of Israel, demanded that El-Sayed condemn the advertisement and distance himself from rhetoric she considered offensive. El-Sayed said his campaign had not produced the advertisement and rejected its contents, but the exchange further damaged relations between the two Democrats.
The dispute reflected broader disagreements within the Democratic Party over U.S. policy towards Israel and the war in Gaza. El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official and a prominent progressive, has criticised Israeli military operations and argued for a different approach to American policy in the Middle East. Stevens represents a more centrist political tradition and has maintained strong support for Israel, placing the two politicians on opposing sides of an issue that has generated significant tensions among Democratic voters.
Those divisions are particularly important in Michigan, where Arab American, Muslim, Black and Jewish communities represent influential constituencies in closely contested statewide elections. Political disagreements over Israel and Gaza have complicated Democratic efforts to maintain support across those communities, especially in the Detroit metropolitan area. The endorsement raised questions about whether Stevens' supporters would follow her recommendation or remain loyal to the Democratic nominee despite their disagreements over foreign policy.
Rogers, a former Republican congressman and intelligence committee chairman, welcomed Stevens' support and appeared with her at Detroit's Perfecting Church. He portrayed the endorsement as evidence that some Democrats had become uncomfortable with their party's direction and argued that voters concerned about political extremism should support his campaign. Republicans quickly amplified photographs and video footage of the two politicians together, presenting the appearance as a significant development in the final stage of the Senate race.
Trump praised Stevens and described her decision as an act of political courage. The president suggested that the congresswoman had demonstrated loyalty to Michigan voters by supporting a Republican candidate despite her longstanding Democratic affiliation. His comments reflected the importance Republicans attached to the endorsement as they sought to defend their Senate majority against Democratic challengers across several competitive states.
Senior Democrats reacted sharply, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer describing Stevens' endorsement as a betrayal. Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel also condemned the decision, arguing that it undermined efforts to maintain party unity before an election with major national consequences. Representative Debbie Dingell, who had helped organise the planned joint appearance between Stevens and El-Sayed, said the dispute had become a distraction from the campaign's central issues.
The controversy also produced immediate consequences within Stevens' congressional office. Her longtime chief of staff, Justin German, resigned following the endorsement, and several other staff members were reported to have left their positions. The departures illustrated the depth of the disagreement surrounding her decision and suggested that the political fallout could extend beyond Tuesday's election.
El-Sayed sought to minimise the significance of the endorsement, telling reporters that his campaign remained focused on economic concerns affecting Michigan families. He has made the cost of living, healthcare and the influence of wealthy donors central elements of his campaign, presenting himself as a candidate seeking to challenge established political interests. His response reflected an effort to prevent the controversy from dominating the final days of campaigning.
The Democratic nominee also received an immediate fundraising boost following Stevens' announcement. A campaign spokesperson told Reuters that El-Sayed raised approximately $1.2 million during the four hours after the endorsement, making it the campaign's second-strongest fundraising day since the August primary. The increase suggested that the controversy had energised some of his supporters, although it remained unclear whether the additional contributions would translate into higher turnout or increased electoral support.
A New York Times/Siena poll released shortly before the election showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by 53% to 42%. The survey indicated that the Democrat retained a substantial advantage among respondents despite the political turmoil, although polling results are estimates rather than predictions of the final outcome. The effect of Stevens' endorsement on voters who had supported her during the primary remained uncertain, particularly because the announcement came so close to Election Day.
The contest is among the most consequential Senate races of the 2026 midterms because Democrats are seeking to defend Michigan while gaining seats elsewhere to overcome the Republican majority. The party faces a difficult electoral map, with victories in competitive states necessary to secure control of the chamber. A Republican victory in Michigan would complicate that effort by transferring a seat currently held by Democrats to the opposing party.
Control of Congress will determine the political environment facing Trump during the remaining two years of his presidency. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, allowing them to advance legislation with limited support from Democrats. If Democrats gain control of either chamber, they could block parts of the administration's legislative agenda, conduct congressional investigations and exercise greater oversight of executive decisions.
The elections will also provide a national assessment of voter attitudes towards the administration's economic policies, immigration measures and handling of international conflicts. Democrats have sought to focus attention on household costs and the consequences of Republican policies, while Trump and his allies have emphasised border security, economic performance and warnings about Democratic candidates. The competing messages have intensified as both parties make their final appeals before voting concludes on Tuesday.
More than 52 million Americans had already cast ballots in person or by mail by Sunday, according to figures compiled by the University of Florida's Election Lab. The total exceeded the approximately 46 million early votes recorded before Election Day in the 2022 midterms, demonstrating the scale of participation before the final day of voting. The figures do not establish which party will benefit, but they underscore the importance of early voting in determining the composition of the electorate.
The Michigan dispute also coincided with a separate legal confrontation in Alaska, where a federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking restrictions on certification of the state's Senate election. The administration argued that voters could be confused by the presence of an independent candidate whose name closely resembled that of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. The judge rejected the requested intervention, while the dispute continued to attract political attention because the Alaska contest could also influence control of the Senate.
In Michigan, the final campaign period has been further complicated by personal attacks against El-Sayed, who is an Egyptian-American Muslim born in the state. Trump and other Republicans have questioned his loyalty to the United States and made unsupported allegations associating him with extremism. El-Sayed has rejected those accusations, describing challenges to his loyalty as shameful, while continuing to campaign on domestic economic issues.
The attacks have added another dimension to a contest already shaped by disagreements over Israel, identity and the direction of the Democratic Party. Rogers and his supporters have argued that El-Sayed's political positions are too extreme for Michigan, while the Democrat has accused Republicans of relying on divisive rhetoric rather than addressing voters' economic concerns. The dispute surrounding Stevens has provided Republicans with a new opportunity to highlight divisions among Democrats without resolving the underlying disagreements between the candidates.
For Democratic leaders, the immediate challenge is maintaining voter participation despite the highly publicised endorsement. Stevens received significant support from Black and Jewish voters during the primary, and party officials had hoped her participation in the general election campaign would help consolidate those constituencies behind El-Sayed. Her decision to support Rogers disrupted that strategy, although the extent to which voters will follow her recommendation remains unknown.
The episode also illustrates the limits of party unity following closely contested primaries. Candidates may formally endorse their former opponents while retaining significant disagreements over policy, campaign tactics and political identity. When those disagreements remain unresolved, they can resurface during the general election and create opportunities for the opposing party, particularly in states where small shifts in turnout or voter preferences can influence the result.
As the campaign entered its final day, Republicans sought to use Stevens' endorsement to question Democratic unity, while El-Sayed and his allies attempted to return attention to economic policy and voter turnout. The congresswoman's decision has created an unusual political test for Michigan Democrats, but its electoral consequences remain uncertain. Voters will determine on Tuesday whether the late endorsement changes the outcome of a race that could help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.