Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has launched a fierce criticism of her own party in a nearly 900-word statement calling for “healing” after her extraordinary decision to endorse a Republican Senate candidate.
The Michigan lawmaker defended her dramatic reversal in a lengthy post on X on Monday night. She accused fellow Democrats of intolerance, attacked their nominee Abdul El-Sayed and angrily rejected claims that her fiancé had swayed her decision.
Stevens, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed in August, said she remained a proud Democrat despite backing Republican Mike Rogers just two days before the midterm elections.
“My decision to withdraw my endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed and support Mike Rogers has angered many Democrats. I understand why,” she wrote.
“But it was not impulsive, and it was not made for me by anyone else. It was a decision of conscience.”
Her statement, titled “The Decisions We Make,” came after a tense CNN interview on Sunday night in which Anderson Cooper repeatedly pressed Stevens to explain what had changed her mind.
It also followed an extraordinary backlash from senior Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called her endorsement a “despicable betrayal,” while members of Stevens’ congressional staff resigned in protest.
Rather than apologize, however, Stevens stood by her decision. She accused Democrats of punishing dissent and questioned whether the party truly believed in the inclusion it regularly advocates.
Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has called for “healing” within her party after facing a furious backlash over her decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers
Stevens published a lengthy statement titled “The Decisions We Make,” accusing fellow Democrats of punishing dissent and insisting her fiancé had not influenced her decision
Stevens stunned fellow Democrats by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s Senate seat. She had previously warned that the country could not afford another MAGA senator
“Instead of asking why a lifelong Democrat reached this point, some leaders rushed to condemn me, question my motives, and push me out,” she wrote.
“We cannot preach inclusion while punishing dissent. We cannot promise to heal a divided country if we cannot tolerate disagreement among ourselves.”
Stevens also addressed speculation that her fiancé, Jason Turkish, was responsible for her dramatic change of position.
Turkish had separately said he planned to vote for Rogers before Stevens made her endorsement public.
“Some critics have also dragged my fiancé into this, suggesting he or others must have made my decision for me,” she wrote.
“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.
“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.”
Stevens then detailed a series of complaints about El-Sayed, saying she had been shut out of his campaign even after endorsing him following their bitter Democratic primary contest.
Stevens rejected suggestions that her fiancé, Jason Turkish, left, was behind her dramatic switch. Turkish had previously announced that he intended to vote for Rogers
On Sunday night, Stevens appeared on CNN after stunning Democrats by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed
Anderson Cooper pressed Stevens during a tense live interview as she struggled to explain what had changed and why she had suddenly switched to Rogers
“I was shut out. The endorsement was welcomed; the people behind it seemed to be forgotten,” she wrote.
She specifically criticized an advertisement from an outside group supporting El-Sayed that connected rising grocery prices with American support for Israel.
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Stevens also objected to an advertisement from El-Sayed’s own campaign featuring conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, saying his involvement had upset Black and Jewish voters.
“Blaming Israel for the price of eggs and elevating Tucker Carlson are not the way to build trust or bring people together,” she wrote.
She further criticized El-Sayed’s association with controversial streamer Hasan Piker, accusing the candidate of poor judgment for campaigning alongside someone whose remarks about Jewish Americans she found troubling.
Stevens acknowledged that El-Sayed had condemned Piker’s comparison of outreach to Jewish voters in West Bloomfield with canvassing a Ku Klux Klan neighborhood.
Even so, she said El-Sayed’s decision to embrace the streamer initially raised serious questions about his suitability for the Senate.
“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.
“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.”
Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed was accused by Stevens of running a divisive campaign and showing poor judgment, prompting her to declare him unfit for the Senate
Dingell, appearing on CNN immediately after Stevens, described Sunday night’s exchange as “one of the most painful interviews I have watched”
Stevens’ detailed explanation came less than 24 hours after she struggled to provide Cooper with a clear account of why she had made the endorsement when she did.
Fellow Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell said Stevens had assured her on Saturday night that she would not support Rogers.
The next morning, however, Stevens appeared with the Republican at Detroit’s Perfecting Church, abandoning plans to campaign alongside El-Sayed.
When Cooper asked what had changed overnight, Stevens replied: “I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart and that’s that.”
As the interview grew increasingly confrontational, Stevens accused the CNN anchor of being upset with her.
“You’re not really answering any of my questions, so it’s somewhat frustrating,” Cooper replied.
Republicans welcomed the remarkable turn of events. President Donald Trump praised Stevens as a “Highly Respected Democrat” and said he hoped she might eventually join the Republican Party.
Her fellow Democrats were far less enthusiastic.
Donald Trump praised Stevens’ decision to support Mike Rogers, calling the move “a thing of bravery”
Haley Stevens stunned fellow Democrats by appearing alongside Republican Mike Rogers at a Detroit-area church service, months after warning he would be another “rubber stamp” for Trump
Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel accused Stevens of abandoning her principles, while Dingell described the CNN exchange as “one of the most painful interviews I have watched.”
Stevens’ longtime chief of staff also resigned, saying: “We are shocked and heartbroken.”
Despite the condemnation, Stevens ended her Monday statement by saying she wanted to help rebuild the same party whose Senate nominee she had just abandoned.
“There is healing to be done in Michigan, in our party, and in our country,” she wrote.
“We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort.”
