Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Republican for Senate
Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers two days before the election after a public rift with El-Sayed's campaign.
Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan, a Democrat, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate on Sunday, a surprise turn in one of the most closely watched races of the midterm elections. Stevens appeared with Rogers at a church service in the Detroit area before announcing her support.
Stevens lost the Democratic primary in August to Abdul El-Sayed and had endorsed him and campaigned for him afterward. The relationship broke down in recent days over an ad by an outside group that linked U.S. support for Israel to grocery prices. Stevens called the ad antisemitic and urged El-Sayed to condemn it. El-Sayed said the ad was not made by his campaign and that he disagreed with it.
According to NBC News, El-Sayed's campaign then asked Stevens not to attend its events. In a video posted on social media, Stevens said she did not belong in his campaign. President Donald Trump later encouraged her to switch parties.
El-Sayed played down the endorsement, telling reporters he was more focused on the cost of living and other issues facing voters. Democrats had held a slight lead in recent polling of the race, which could help decide control of the Senate. Michigan voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.