Stevens shares rationale for endorsing Rogers over El-Sayed

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) shared her rationale for her recent decision to endorse former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the state’s contested Senate race, citing campaign ads, among other reasons.

“Once I concluded that Abdul El-Sayed is not fit to serve in the United States Senate, I had to confront who should,” she wrote in a lengthy X article .

“Instead of asking why a lifelong Democrat reached this point, some leaders rushed to condemn me, question my motives, and push me out,” she said. “That response reveals something deeply troubling about what is missing in today’s Democratic Party.”

Stevens endorsed Rogers following an appearance at a Detroit church event on Sunday. The last-minute decision created a rift between the Democratic lawmaker and her party as the Michigan Democratic Party has already ousted her . She remains in the Congressional Democratic caucus for the upcoming lame duck session.

In the post, Stevens noted two campaign ads backing El-Sayed fueled her decision: “One, from a group supporting Abdul, tied the cost of groceries to America’s support for Israel. Another, from Abdul’s own campaign, featured Tucker Carlson.”

The lawmaker recalled a previous statement that asked El-Sayed to condemn the ad that tied rising grocery prices to U.S. military aid to Israel. She was “offering him an opportunity to reassure people, reject division, and demonstrate the leadership required of a United States Senator,” Stevens said in her Monday post.

Stevens added El-Sayed’s ties to political streamer Hasan Piker were “deeply disturbing” and “raised serious questions about his judgment and his ability to bring people together.”

She also disputed reports that her fiancé, Jason Turkish , influenced her decision to endorse Rogers.

“That is sexism dressed up as political analysis. My fiancé has his own views. I have mine. I made this decision, and I am proud of it. Do not question my independence simply because you disagree with my conclusion,” Stevens said.

Stevens concluded her statement by asserting that she “still believe[s] in the promise of the Democratic Party.”

“But fulfilling that promise will require something more than loyalty tests and demands for blind obedience,” she asserted. “We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort.”

El-Sayed brushed off Stevens’s endorsement of Rogers on Sunday, telling reporters, “at the end of the day, I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens.”

He is “likely to win” against Rogers, according to Decision Desk HQ , The Hill’s partner. The Cook Political Report , a nonpartisan political handicapper, also shifted the race to “lean Democrat” in its final shift before Tuesday’s midterm election.