Several Democrats melted down after Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) endorsed Republican Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, describing her endorsement as a “despicable betrayal.”
Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published November 2, 2026
DETROIT / DUBUQUE – A Democratic congresswoman walked away from her party’s Senate nominee two days before Election Day. Within hours, the president was publicly asking her to switch sides.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday after the campaign of Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed told her to stay away. She announced it standing beside Rogers at a Detroit church.
Trump rolls out the welcome mat. At a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, the president said he’s never met Stevens but was happy with what she did. According to Breitbart, he called her “very brave” and said he’d love to see her join the Republican Party. Earlier on Truth Social, he had called her a “Highly Respected Democrat.” Trump also leveled harsh attacks at El-Sayed from the stage. I haven’t found El-Sayed’s response to those remarks.
Who is Haley Stevens? She has represented Michigan’s 11th District since 2019. She ran for Senate as the establishment favorite, backed by Chuck Schumer and boosted by heavy pro-Israel spending. She lost the August primary to the Bernie Sanders-backed El-Sayed, 48.5% to 47.5%.
How it came to this.
- She endorsed El-Sayed after the primary, despite accusing him in July of blaming Jewish Americans for his problems.
- In October, her fiancé, Jason Turkish, and her Senate campaign chair both said they’d vote for Rogers.
- She demanded El-Sayed condemn an antisemitic ad from an ally. In a CNN interview, she avoided saying outright that she backed him.
- On Sunday, she said El-Sayed had told her she wasn’t welcome, and “he’s right.” She also said she doesn’t stand with streamer Hasan Piker, a figure whose comments have caused a rift in the party.
Democrats erupt. State party chair Curtis Hertel criticized her, and Senate Democrats’ campaign arm said she has “lost her way.” Mallory McMorrow, another former rival, told MS NOW Stevens was abandoning her constituents, per Breitbart’s account. Strategist James Carville warned Republicans would use and discard her. El-Sayed said, “I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens.”
The stakes. Control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on this seat, and Democrats have been worried about slipping support among Black voters.
The other side: El-Sayed’s allies say he has condemned antisemitism and apologized in August for comments about a synagogue attack. Hundreds of Michigan Jews signed a letter backing him. McMorrow argues that Stevens’ move won’t help Republicans win more votes.
