Haley Stevens endorses Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers on Nov. 1, two days before Election Day, breaking with her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed. The late shift adds a public party split to a race for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, though the available reporting does not establish what effect, if any, the endorsement will have on the vote.

Stevens had lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed in August and had previously said she would support the Democratic ticket, according to NBC News. She appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church before announcing her decision in a video.

“I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign,” Stevens said, explaining that El-Sayed had told her she was no longer welcome and should stay away. Rogers said he was honored by her support, the Associated Press reported.

Why did Haley Stevens endorse Mike Rogers?

Stevens pointed to her break with El-Sayed’s campaign and to disagreements over rhetoric about Israel. In particular, she had criticized an advertisement from an outside group that connected high grocery costs with U.S. support for Israel. Stevens described the ad as antisemitic or inflammatory in public statements reported by NBC News and NPR.

El-Sayed’s campaign said it had no involvement with the advertisement and criticized its content, according to NPR. The dispute followed longer-running differences between the two Democrats: Stevens supports Israel, while El-Sayed has sharply criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.

Stevens also cited El-Sayed’s association with political streamer Hasan Piker, who campaigned with El-Sayed during the primary. NPR reported that El-Sayed had previously said Piker did not speak for his campaign.

Competing accounts of a planned Democratic event

The endorsement came after a planned church appearance with Stevens, El-Sayed and other Democrats fell apart. Stevens said El-Sayed’s campaign had pushed her away. But Rep. Debbie Dingell, who helped organize the event, said she had asked Stevens not to attend because the situation had become distracting, the Associated Press reported.

El-Sayed dismissed the endorsement when questioned by reporters. He said his attention was on concerns facing Michigan families, including food costs, schools and health-care bills, according to NPR.

Democratic leaders and staff react

Democratic leaders denounced Stevens’ decision. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “despicable betrayal,” while Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens had abandoned the principles she claimed to support, according to the Associated Press.

Stevens’ longtime chief of staff resigned after the endorsement. The Associated Press reported that further departures were expected, citing a person familiar with the office, but did not establish a final number of staff who left.

Rogers and El-Sayed are competing to replace Peters. The contest is one of the Senate races that could help determine party control of the chamber, as reported by the Associated Press and CNBC.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.