Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens explained on X why she supported Republican candidate Mike Rogers over her own party member Abdul El-Sayed in the senatorial race. The withdrawal of Stevens' endorsement of El-Sayed, days before the US midterm elections on November 3, caused political upheaval in Michigan.
Stevens' move also drew backlash from her own party members, with New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani saying, “Working class people’s lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills. Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against.” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said, "Congresswoman Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future."
Now, Stevens is making her side known.
Haley Stevens' support of Mike Rogers was ‘not impulsive’
Deep Dive
Why did Haley Stevens withdraw her endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed and back Mike Rogers?
What about El-Sayed’s campaign ads troubled Haley Stevens?
Why did Haley Stevens choose to endorse Mike Rogers?
Stevens explained that her support of Mike Rogers was not impulsive. She wrote, “it was not impulsive, and it was not made for me by anyone else. It was a decision of conscience.”
Stevens reiterated the things she believed in and called herself a “proud Democrat.”
{{/usCountry}}Stevens reiterated the things she believed in and called herself a “proud Democrat.”
{{/usCountry}}“After losing the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, I did what I believed was right. Despite deep disappointment - mine and that of the thousands of people who worked so hard for our campaign - I endorsed Abdul. I put the party first and hoped we could move forward together,” Stevens further said.
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The lawmaker noted that she was instead "shut out". Stevens detailed, “The endorsement was welcomed; the people behind it seemed to be forgotten. There was little effort to listen to the voters who supported me or bridge the real disagreements our primary had exposed.”
She added that she was prepared to accept this status quo. However, the advertisements were the next blow that impacted her decision.
What Haley Stevens said about the ads
Stevens said that an ad from a group supporting El-Sayed, which tied the cost of groceries to the US support for Israel, and another from El-Sayed's own campaign, which had Tucker Carlson, did not sit right with her.
The lawmaker explained, “[Tucker's] racist and anti-Black rhetoric has no place in a Democratic campaign.” She added, “I heard directly from Black voters, Jewish voters, and others about how deeply these messages hurt. They deserved to be heard, not dismissed.”
Stevens further said, “Reasonable people can disagree about Israel, Gaza, and American foreign policy. But blaming Israel for the price of eggs and elevating Tucker Carlson are not the way to build trust or bring people together.”
The Hasan Piker factor
Stevens explained that El-Sayed's campaign with Hasan Piker also rankled her. She described the left-wing political commentator's rhetoric about Jewish Americans as “deeply disturbing”.
“He took Piker to college campuses to tell our youth that Iran is not our enemy. Just days ago, Piker compared efforts to win over Jewish voters in West Bloomfield to canvassing a KKK neighborhood. Abdul condemned those remarks, but his decision to embrace Piker in the first place raised serious questions about his judgment and his ability to bring people together. I asked Abdul to reject that rhetoric clearly. I wasn’t asking him to change his platform. I was offering him an opportunity to reassure people, reject division, and demonstrate the leadership required of a United States Senator,” Stevens said.
“He ultimately said he disagreed with the outside ad. I welcomed that. But by then, I had also been told I was no longer welcome at his campaign events,” she added.
Stevens' decision not linked to fiancé, says lawmaker
Stevens categorically said her fiancé and others had nothing to do with her decision to support Rogers. “Some critics have also dragged my fiancé into this, suggesting he or others must have made my decision for me. Think about what that says. A woman can serve in Congress, run statewide, and fight for her convictions, and still be told that when she makes a choice people dislike, someone else must be pulling the strings,” she said.
Slamming the allegations as “sexism" Stevens added, “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.”
Why Stevens supported Mike Rogers
Stevens explained that endorsing a Republican was “no small thing,” and noted that she and Rogers disagreed on many things.
“But Michigan has to elect a senator and there is no neutral choice that absolves me of responsibility. Once I concluded that Abdul El-Sayed is not fit to serve in the United States Senate, I had to confront who should. I chose Mike Rogers, with the hope that he can serve in the tradition of John McCain: a senator willing to put country before party and stand up to his own side when conscience requires it,” Stevens said.
Stevens also criticized the response from some quarters of her party and wrote, “We cannot preach inclusion while punishing dissent. We cannot promise to heal a divided country if we cannot tolerate disagreement among ourselves. And we cannot build a lasting majority by making Americans feel their concerns are unwelcome. Loyalty to a party should never require abandoning your values or judgment.” She called for changes to the Democrat Party and said she planned to lead those efforts.