Michigan Democrats rip Stevens over Rogers appearance

Michigan Democrats ripped Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) over her appearance with and subsequent endorsement of GOP Michigan Senate candidate former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) on Sunday.

“The Michigan Democratic Party stands united and fully behind Abdul El-Sayed, a proven, committed fighter for Michigan’s working families,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said in a statement. “Haley Stevens’ decision to campaign with Rogers—a man who has repeatedly sold out Michigan’s working class, wants to pass a national abortion ban, and has pledged to be a loyal vote for Trump’s agenda—shows that she has abandoned everything she claims to care about.”

Hertel continued that the Michigan Democratic Party rejected “the attempts by Stevens and bad-faith actors to divide our party and undermine our momentum, and will not allow these eleventh-hour distractions deter us.”

Stevens lost to Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed earlier this year and endorsed him, though she has not campaigned with El-Sayed since her loss.

She was set to appear alongside El-Sayed on Sunday, but the Democratic nominee dropped Stevens from the campaign event, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Stevens had asked El-Sayed to condemn a recent ad from Rebellion PAC, an independent left-wing group, which she called “fearmongering.” The ad appeared to tie rising grocery costs to U.S. military aid to Israel.

The rift between Democrats represents a broader split in the party over the issue of support for Israel, with many disapproving of the country’s actions in its war in Gaza, which some have labeled as a “genocide.”

“In a moment of faith tied to my faith, to this great city. By the way, I’m standing here with a guy named Mike Rogers,” Stevens said.

Michigan Democratic Party First Vice Chair Portia Roberson similarly slammed Stevens’s recent moves, saying “Michigan Democrats are voting for Abdul El-Sayed.”

Robertson further called out Stevens turning up at a Detroit church alongside Rogers, saying it occurred just “two days before the most important Senate race in the country.”

When asked about her decision to endorse Rogers, Stevens said it was in response to “hate” and El-Sayed’s ties to political streamer Hasan Piker.

“It’s my personal and private decision. I still love the party. I’ve done a ton for the party. I’ve voted for the party over and over and over again. I’m going to continue to do that as I fill out my term,” the lawmaker said.

Rogers remarked that Stevens’s endorsement was “more a statement about standing together against hate and the future of this state and this country than it is anything else.”