Stevens backs Rogers in Michigan Senate race, defying prior commitments

U.S. Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the Michigan Senate seat on Sunday, less than 48 hours before Election Day. The move contradicted public assurances she gave to Democratic allies just hours earlier, creating an immediate rift within her party. Stevens appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church to announce her support, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from colleagues and political commentators.

According to CNN reporting, Stevens told a key Democratic ally on Saturday night that she would remain with her former primary rival, Abdul El-Sayed. By Sunday, however, she had switched to the Republican candidate. This rapid shift prompted questions about the factors that altered her assessment so quickly in the final hours of the campaign.

During a Sunday interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, Stevens struggled to provide a clear timeline for her reversal. When pressed on what changed overnight, she stated, "Well, look, this is just a weight off my shoulder, OK?" She claimed that nothing had changed with her personally but accused Sayed of becoming increasingly angry and making some Democrats feel unwelcome in his campaign.

Cooper noted that Stevens had previously described Rogers as a potential rubber stamp for President Donald Trump's agenda. She had also warned against giving Republicans another Senate seat. Despite these prior statements, she could not identify a specific turning point that led to her new endorsement. Cooper expressed frustration with her responses, noting, "You're not really answering any of my questions, so it is somewhat frustrating."

Stevens cited her disagreements with Sayed over his association with progressive streamer Hasan Piker and political commentator Cenk Uygur. She argued that the campaign's stance on antisemitism was a factor in her decision. "We can't stand with hate. We can't stand with Hasan Piker," Stevens said while appearing with Rogers.

However, Cooper pointed out that these associations were known when Stevens initially supported Sayed. She also referenced an advertisement by an outside political group that linked Michigan's cost of living to U.S. financial support for Israel. The ad was criticized for invoking antisemitic tropes, although Sayed had publicly disagreed with its framing, according to Axios.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized Stevens for betraying the working class by endorsing the Republican she previously sought to defeat. In a post on X, Mamdani wrote that working-class lives are on the ballot, citing healthcare, rent, and bills. He argued that Stevens betrayed them by supporting the candidate she said she wanted to run against.

Leadership from the Democratic National Committee's Jewish-American Council also challenged Stevens' framing. Chair Adam Goldwyn and Vice Chair Steph Newton acknowledged disagreements with Sayed over Israel and Jewish safety but warned against using those concerns for political purposes. "Those disagreements deserve to have serious discussion, not political exploitation," they said in a joint statement.

The council leaders accused Stevens of overlooking antisemitism controversies within Rogers' campaign. They cited students associated with his outreach who had defended a Young Republicans group chat containing praise for Adolf Hitler. "If Stevens actually cared about protecting Jews, she would have raised those concerns with Rogers' campaign before endorsing the MAGA Republican. She did not," the statement read.

The controversy triggered resignations within Stevens' staff and condemnation from other Democratic lawmakers. Representative Jamie Raskin, who spoke with Stevens on Saturday night, expressed disbelief at the reversal. Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell questioned the timing of the decision. Sayed told reporters on Sunday that he is focused on Michigan voters rather than Stevens.