Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens, his former Democratic primary rival, have revived their bitter intra-party dispute just four days before a pivotal Senate election in swing-state Michigan.
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who previously appeared alongside Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, stunned the political establishment by narrowly defeating the more moderate Stevens in August’s Democratic primary.
He now faces Republican Mike Rogers, but the renewed clash between the two Democrats has put party divisions back in the spotlight as Michigan voters prepare to choose their next senator.
The latest dispute became public Wednesday, when Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, told The Detroit News that he intended to vote for Rogers.
Several hours later, Stevens told CNN that she would support El-Sayed at the ballot box, while calling on his campaign to “shut out the hate and call it out.”
Stevens said El-Sayed should also engage with voters who backed her campaign and help “make them feel comfortable about coming to the polls.”
The two Democrats appeared to take a step toward reconciliation Thursday, announcing a Sunday campaign event in Detroit with South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, a powerful Democratic figure widely credited with helping Joe Biden secure his 2020 primary victory.
That apparent truce did not last. On Friday, Stevens issued a lengthy social-media statement attacking her former opponent and demanding that he denounce an advertisement tying American support for Israel to soaring grocery costs. She also called on him to address concerns surrounding some of his previous remarks.
Abdul El-Sayed (pictured) and former Democratic primary rival Haley Stevens have reignited their intra-party dispute just four days before a crucial Senate election in swing-state Michigan
The dispute resurfaced Wednesday after Stevens’ (pictured right) fiancé, Jason Turkish (pictured left), told The Detroit News he planned to vote for Republican Mike Rogers
The advertisement, produced by left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur—Piker’s uncle—depicts unsettling exchanges inside a grocery store. In one scene, a woman says she cannot afford eggs because her money had to be spent “killing Palestinians.”
El-Sayed’s campaign has stressed that it neither created nor approved the commercial, saying its own focus “has always been on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing.”
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote in her Friday statement.
“He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
El-Sayed has apologized for several past comments as he works to bring Democrats together ahead of the general election.
In a Friday response, however, he highlighted his primary victory over Stevens and suggested that she was trying to reopen old arguments. While she “seems intent on relitigating a primary,” he said, Democrats should “focus on the task at hand: beating Mike Rogers.”
A source familiar with the El-Sayed campaign told Politico that Stevens should not attend future campaign appearances because her presence could distract from the race’s central issues.
Mallory McMorrow, another former Democratic contender who withdrew and endorsed El-Sayed, reacted angrily, saying: “I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing. This is a moment where we have to recognize the stakes.”
Stevens later issued a lengthy social-media statement criticizing El-Sayed and demanding that he condemn an ad connecting U.S. support for Israel with higher grocery prices while addressing questions about his past rhetoric
“Every Democrat was singing the same tune, but now, because one person is tone deaf, the whole choir is thrown off,” said a source unaffiliated with the El-Sayed campaign.
Rogers, who has made a concerted effort to attract Jewish Democratic voters, praised Stevens and described her as “a courageous leader who deserves the respect of every Michigan voter.”
He said she was “absolutely right to call” on El-Sayed to reject the advertisement. “It is as shameful as it is disappointing that his response to her clearly shows that he does not care about those concerns,” Rogers wrote on X.
President Donald Trump delivered an even sharper attack during a Friday rally in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you’re not smart,” Trump said.
The RealClearPolitics polling average currently gives El-Sayed a five-point advantage over Rogers.
Michigan has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1994, while Trump carried the state in 2016 and again in 2024.
Republicans also face obstacles, including voter frustration over Trump, the war with Iran and the continuing pressure of high living costs.
El-Sayed is running against former Congressman Mike Rogers (pictured) for Michigan’s open Senate seat
Rogers has stayed closely aligned with Trump on most major issues. He appeared with the president at a Michigan rally Sunday and credited Trump with helping restore manufacturing jobs across the state.
The event was held in Port Huron, directly across the river from Canada—a country with strong economic links to Michigan that Trump has targeted with tariffs.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, has campaigned in strongly Republican parts of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula.
His campaign also released an advertisement featuring conservative personalities praising him, among them former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has denied accusations of antisemitism.
That commercial, too, triggered criticism among some Jewish voters.
Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the Rebellion PAC advertisement and El-Sayed’s campaign spot during a call with reporters.
“We are one week away from the election, and it feels like the temperature has turned way up,” Starr said.
“Instead of things getting better over the last seven weeks, they’ve actually gotten worse.”
President Donald Trump delivered a sharper attack on El-Sayed during a Friday rally in Daytona Beach, Florida. “If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you’re not smart,” he said
Trump has repeatedly targeted El-Sayed’s Muslim faith, calling him a “jihadist” and saying Sunday that he was “on the side of terrorists.”
Both candidates are competing for Black voters, especially in Detroit’s Wayne County, where Stevens beat El-Sayed during the Democratic primary.
El-Sayed’s planned appearance with Clyburn is part of his effort to strengthen support among Black voters.
Detroit has featured prominently in his campaign schedule during the final days of the race.
Rogers has also tried to build connections with Black voters. He visited a reading-remediation program at a Detroit high school and spoke with Pontiac residents about housing costs.
Earlier this month, his wife distributed $10 gift cards at a gas station.
El-Sayed and Stevens last shared a campaign stage on August 6, two days after the primary. Stevens promised to support him, telling CBS News she would do “whatever he wants me to do” on the campaign trail.
Yet the divisions left by the hard-fought primary have remained. Nearly $60 million was spent on advertisements attacking El-Sayed, including $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
Stevens is a strong supporter of Israel and represents a suburban Detroit district with a sizable Jewish population.
The Sunday church appearance is designed to project Democratic unity, though its effect remains unclear with only two days left before voters cast their ballots.
Early voting in Michigan began on October 24.
