Democratic Representative Haley Stevens is facing fierce backlash from senior party figures and members of her own staff after endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely watched Senate race on Sunday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement a “despicable betrayal,” while Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. declared that Stevens was no longer a member of the state party. Many members of her congressional staff, including her longtime chief of staff, also resigned.
The reaction followed Stevens’ appearance alongside Rogers at a Detroit church two days before Election Day. Stevens narrowly lost the August Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed and initially endorsed him, but their relationship deteriorated during the closing days of the general-election campaign. Stevens said Sunday that El-Sayed had made clear she was no longer welcome in his campaign.
Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC aligned with Schumer, has committed or spent more than $43 million on ads in the Michigan race since Labor Day, according to AdImpact data cited by the Washington Post. Arizona Senator Mark Kelly also rallied behind El-Sayed following Stevens’ endorsement. The Michigan contest could play a decisive role in determining control of the Senate.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, and Democrats need to defend the Michigan seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters while making gains elsewhere. Hertel issued one of the strongest rebukes of Stevens, saying the Michigan Democratic Party remained “united and fully” behind El-Sayed. Hertel said Stevens had “abandoned everything she claims to care about” with an “eleventh-hour” endorsement.
Hertel later sought to turn the backlash into a mobilizing message, saying a record number of volunteers had shown up to knock on doors for Democrats across Michigan. In another post, Hertel said of Stevens’ decision: “This is NOT ‘the Michigan way!’” Democratic Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin also criticized Stevens, saying she had avoided commenting until now because voters were more concerned about the cost of living than “daily political drama” but that “there is simply too much at stake.” “So anyone who makes an election this important about themselves, and not Michiganders and our democracy, should think hard about whether they are serving the greater good,” Slotkin wrote. She added that Tuesday’s election was “bigger than any one person” and ended with an endorsement of El-Sayed: “Michigan elects fighters, and we will elect Abdul El-Sayed on November 3.” Peters said he and his wife, Colleen, were “extremely disappointed” by Stevens’ decision, arguing that a Democratic Senate majority was needed to check President Donald Trump and “stop the economic pain crushing Michiganders.” “I endorsed Abdul, I’ve campaigned with Abdul and tomorrow, we will cast our ballot for Abdul and every Democrat on the ballot,” Peters said.
The backlash also reached Stevens’ congressional office, where her longtime chief of staff, Justin German, said he and many members of her team had resigned over her decision. We are shocked and heartbroken by Congresswoman Stevens’ decision to support Mike Rogers.” German said staff members who are Michigan voters would continue supporting Democrats up and down the ballot and working to elect Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. I still love the party,” she told reporters on Sunday.
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