Defeated Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

A surprise appearance in Detroit

On Sunday, 1 November, Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens appeared at a church service in Detroit alongside Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Michigan. El Mundo and El Periodico identified the venue as Perfecting Church. Rogers' campaign spokesperson, Abby Ronson, posted a photo of the two together, with a message saying the congresswoman was joining Rogers at the church that morning. Stevens then posted a video on social media announcing that she backs Rogers for the Senate. She described herself as a proud Democrat who still believes in everything she has voted for and said.

The rift with El-Sayed

Stevens lost the August Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed by a narrow margin, after she had initially backed him. The relationship soured over his position on Israel and a campaign advertisement that linked Israel to rising prices of basic goods in the United States. El-Sayed has voiced support for cutting US aid to Israel and redirecting that money to domestic policies. In her video, Stevens also criticized his closeness to left-wing commentator and activist Hasan Piker and suggested that his campaign was built on hate. Earlier, El-Sayed had asked her not to appear with him at a separate church event on Sunday meant to show unity between progressives and moderates. On Saturday, 31 October, he told reporters he preferred to avoid distractions unrelated to voters' priorities, and on Sunday he wrote on social media that Stevens seemed to want to reopen a primary result from three months earlier.

Trump and the Senate map

President Donald Trump praised Stevens's decision in a social media post, calling it an act of courage and saying she had shown loyalty to the people of Michigan. He said she was widely respected and had many followers in the state, especially among Black and Jewish voters. Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats to the Democrats' 47, according to El Pais. The Michigan contest is for the seat that Democrat Gary Peters is leaving after his retirement, and El Mundo describes it as a tight race. El Mundo also reports that keeping Michigan under Democratic control is vital to the party's hopes of winning a Senate majority for the final two years of Trump's second term.

Republicans53

Democrats47

Republicans

53 seats

Democrats

47 seats

Data from the article text

Internal fallout and what comes next

The split has also reached Stevens's own office. According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, her long-serving chief of staff resigned, and several other members of her team are expected to follow shortly. Earlier on Sunday, Representative Debbie Dingell had urged Democrats to stay united. El Pais framed the Michigan contest as a clash between the centrist and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. Michigan voters go to the polls in the midterm elections on Tuesday, 3 November, and the race remains tight.