Stevens staff resign after her endorsement of Republican Rogers, report says

Many staff members working for Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens, including her chief of staff, resigned after she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s US Senate race, the Jerusalem Post reported on November 2. Stevens backed Rogers after narrowly losing the Democratic nomination to Abdul El-Sayed; her decision drew praise from Donald Trump and condemnation from Democrats.³¹²⁴

A planned reunion falls apart

The Guardian reported that senior Democrats had arranged for Stevens and El-Sayed to appear together in an effort to repair their relationship and show a united party. Stevens had resisted publicly supporting him for months before offering a qualified endorsement, according to the newspaper.¹

That arrangement broke down after Stevens made her participation conditional on El-Sayed condemning an advertisement produced by an outside group. According to the Guardian, the advertisement linked American support for Israel to increasing living costs in the United States. Stevens described it as offensive; El-Sayed declined her request to denounce it.¹

The Guardian reported that El-Sayed’s campaign then excluded Stevens from its remaining events. The BBC also reported that he had asked her not to attend Sunday’s event intended to demonstrate party unity. Stevens said El-Sayed had told her she was unwelcome and should stay away.¹²

Instead, Stevens appeared with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit and released an endorsement video, according to the Guardian. The newspaper described the church gathering as predominantly Black and reported that Stevens expressed support for what she described as Rogers’s prospective investment in Black businesses.¹

Stevens also cited El-Sayed’s campaign appearances with streamer Hasan Piker when withdrawing her support and endorsing Rogers, the Jerusalem Post reported. She said she did not stand with Piker.³

Israel dispute and Democratic reaction

The disagreement involved candidates with different positions on Israel. The Guardian described Stevens as a moderate and a strong supporter of Israel, while describing El-Sayed as a progressive who criticises Israel’s war in Gaza and supports ending US military assistance to Israel.¹

El-Sayed said the advertisement blaming Israel for high food prices was not his responsibility, according to the BBC. The Guardian reported that he accused Stevens of revisiting a primary contest that had already been decided. Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer had supported Stevens in that contest, the BBC reported.¹²

Stevens maintained that she remained a proud Democrat even as she backed Rogers, according to the Guardian. “I don't belong in Abdul's campaign,” she said. The BBC reported that Democratic senator Chuck Schumer called her endorsement “a despicable betrayal”.¹²

Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell said she had advised Stevens that appearing with El-Sayed was not working and described their tensions as a distraction, the Guardian reported. Asked about the endorsement, El-Sayed said he was focused on the difficulties facing Michigan residents, according to the BBC.¹²

The electoral effect remains uncertain. The BBC reported that some Republicans supporting Rogers doubted the endorsement would influence the contest. The Guardian, meanwhile, reported that Stevens herself expected El-Sayed to win, despite her decision to support his Republican opponent.¹²

Staff departures and further reactions

Many of Stevens’s staff, including her chief of staff, resigned after the endorsement, according to the Jerusalem Post’s November 2 report.³

Trump praised Stevens’s decision, The Straits Times and the Jerusalem Post reported. The Jerusalem Post said he described it as an act of bravery.³⁴

The liberal pro-Israel organisation J Street accused Stevens of exploiting fears about rising antisemitism to pursue her own grievances, according to the Jerusalem Post. The newspaper also reported that El-Sayed argued that people opposing hate would be unlikely to support Rogers, Trump or JD Vance.³