Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, her former political rival, after attending church alongside him in Detroit.
Stevens made the surprise announcement Sunday morning, three months after losing a bitter Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed, who went on to become the party’s nominee in Michigan.
She arrived at Perfecting Church smiling broadly and stood beside Rogers during the service.
The extraordinary display came as Michigan’s midterm contest has been overshadowed by infighting among Democrats. Stevens had reportedly been expected to attend church with El-Sayed, but those plans collapsed as tensions between the two worsened.
Dressed in a teal suit, Stevens entered the church, embraced Rogers and warmly greeted members of the congregation.
After removing her sunglasses at the entrance, she told local residents that Rogers would support her initiative to invest in Black-owned businesses.
Cameras captured the two politicians smiling and applauding side by side during the service, an unusual scene witnessed by congregants.
Within minutes of the service ending, Stevens held a news conference to formally announce her support for the Republican candidate.
The striking scene was captured on camera as the two politicians smiled and applauded beside one another during the service
The unusual appearance came as Michigan’s midterm race was increasingly marked by infighting among Democrats
Stevens said her household had been “divided, until last night,” when she decided to vote for Rogers. She added that El-Sayed had made clear he did not need her support during the campaign.
While reiterating her continued commitment to the Democratic Party, Stevens said: “My vote will be with Mike Rogers, because we have to stand with country.
“We cannot stand for hate.
“Abdul was very clear when he said, ‘Don’t come.’ Everyone can look at the facts. This is about leadership and integrity.”
Rogers said he was honored to receive Stevens’ backing, adding: “I am honored to have Haley Stevens’ support and her vote today. I’m candidly happy I’m not running against her.”
Stevens also told residents that she still planned to cast roughly 90 percent of her votes in the midterms for Democratic candidates.
During the news conference, one protester shouted: “Haley Stevens is a traitor!”
The latest rupture between Michigan Democrats followed comments from Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, who said Wednesday that he planned to vote for Rogers, El-Sayed’s Republican opponent.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a campaign rally on Saturday
Stevens appeared on CNN hours later and reaffirmed that she would vote for El-Sayed, while urging his campaign to “shut out the hate and call it out.”
The pair appeared to repair their relationship Thursday and arranged a Sunday church event in Detroit with South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, an influential Democrat widely credited with helping Joe Biden secure victory in the 2020 primary.
However, Stevens posted a statement on social media Friday criticizing El-Sayed and calling on him to condemn an advertisement that linked American support for Israel to increasing grocery prices.
El-Sayed’s campaign later asked Stevens not to attend the event, MS NOW reported Saturday.
Asked whether he wanted Stevens to join him, El-Sayed avoided the question and said she “wants to talk about other things.”
When asked directly whether Stevens was “trying to rat f***” his campaign, he laughed and replied: “That is not a question for me.”
According to MS NOW, Rogers said he would welcome Stevens at one of his campaign events.
Antjuan Seawright, an adviser to Clyburn, said the invitation for Stevens to attend church remained open, the outlet reported.
Minutes after the service ended, Stevens held a news conference to announce her formal endorsement of the Republican
Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, said Wednesday that he planned to vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers
On Thursday, El-Sayed told reporters that Democrats were “always trying to unify the party” when questioned about the planned church appearance with Stevens.
He said the event had not been scheduled earlier because both politicians had been dealing with busy calendars.
The progressive candidate also said that, amid the rising cost of living, “nobody cares” about internal party disputes.
At the center of the controversy is a one-minute advertisement produced by left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur’s Rebellion PAC. Uygur is the uncle of controversial streamer Hasan Piker.
El-Sayed, a prominent critic of Israel, has previously campaigned with Piker, prompting concern among some members of Michigan’s Jewish community.
The advertisement depicts conversations in a grocery store, including a scene in which a woman tells a man she cannot afford eggs because their money had been spent “killing Palestinians.”
El-Sayed’s campaign has stressed that it neither produced nor endorsed the advertisement, saying it has remained focused on “the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing.”
El-Sayed told reporters Saturday that he did “not agree with the contents of that ad.”
Stevens said she was pleased that El-Sayed had rejected “the content of the vile… ad which claimed Israel and Jews were to blame for the high costs of groceries.”
According to a statement reported by Semafor’s Nicholas Wu, Stevens did not name El-Sayed and referred to him only as “our Senate nominee.”
