Michigan Senate Race Shaken as Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers
Democrat Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s fiercely contested Senate race on Sunday 1 November 2026, just two days before voters go to the polls on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August 2026, announced her cross-party backing after appearing alongside Rogers at Detroit’s Perfecting Church, in a move that has shaken Democratic unity in a race that could help decide control of the United States Senate.
The endorsement, reported by Channel News Asia and USA Today, came after Stevens said El-Sayed had made clear she was no longer welcome in his campaign. It caps a bitter primary feud that has spilled into the final days of the midterm campaign, when millions of Americans have already voted early ahead of Election Day.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Race | Michigan seat in the United States Senate |
| Endorsement announced | Sunday 1 November 2026, in a video posted on social media and at Detroit’s Perfecting Church |
| Endorser | Representative Haley Stevens, Democrat, who lost the August 2026 Democratic primary to El-Sayed |
| Endorsed candidate | Mike Rogers, Republican nominee and former Representative |
| Democratic nominee | Abdul El-Sayed, who won the August primary by less than a percentage point |
| Election Day | Tuesday 3 November 2026 |
| Why it matters | Michigan is a key battleground that could help decide which party controls the Senate |
| Democratic reaction | Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer condemned the move; Michigan Democratic chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens was no longer a party member |
What Stevens said in Detroit on Sunday
Stevens announced her decision in a video filmed in her car and in remarks to reporters outside the church. She quoted El-Sayed’s campaign directly, saying she had been told she was no longer welcome and should stay away. She added that she did not belong in El-Sayed’s campaign, and that she was therefore endorsing Rogers for the United States Senate.
Stevens had previously backed El-Sayed after losing the primary to him. As recently as Friday 30 October 2026, she had told the New York Times she would vote for him, according to Le Monde’s account of the race. Her reversal on Sunday therefore surprised even seasoned campaign watchers, and it followed days of escalating hostility between the two camps.
How the primary feud reached breaking point
The split intensified over an outside political action committee advertisement that Stevens condemned. On 30 October 2026, she released an extensive statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement that blamed rising prices in the United States on American military support for Israel. Stevens and El-Sayed had been scheduled to appear together at a church event with Democratic Representative James Clyburn on 1 November 2026.
El-Sayed’s campaign instead asked Stevens not to attend last-minute campaigning. Stevens went to a different church service, at Perfecting Church on Detroit’s east side, with Rogers and his wife, while El-Sayed campaigned with Clyburn as scheduled. Stevens has also pointed to El-Sayed’s campaigning with commentators whose remarks about Israel and Jewish Americans she criticised, while El-Sayed has said he was not interested in discussing what he called the Stevens-Rogers alliance.
Democrats condemn the move as Republicans welcome it
Schumer, who had supported Stevens during the primary, posted on social media on 1 November 2026 condemning her decision. He called it a despicable betrayal and said Senate Democrats were united behind El-Sayed, arguing that he would fight for the economic interests of working families in Michigan. Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel went further, declaring that Stevens was no longer a member of the state party.
Rogers, who has made direct appeals to Stevens’ supporters since the August primary, said at a press availability with Stevens on 1 November 2026 that he was proud to earn her vote. He added that he was glad he was not running against Stevens that day. President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Rogers, also welcomed Stevens’ move, according to The National’s report.
What this means for control of the Senate
Michigan is one of a small number of battleground races that could decide Senate control for the remaining two years of Trump’s term. Democrats are seeking to wrest control of both chambers of Congress from Republicans in Tuesday’s midterms, and most polls put El-Sayed narrowly ahead of Rogers going into Election Day, according to Channel News Asia’s report. A cross-party endorsement from a sitting Democratic representative is therefore politically damaging even if its direct effect on votes is hard to measure.
The race also sits inside a wider midterm story in which early voting has already passed 51 million ballots, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab figures reported on 2 November 2026. Final polls released on Sunday evening showed Democratic candidates leading in all seven seats viewed as most competitive nationally, though five remained within the margin of error. Michigan’s result, counted after polls close on Tuesday, will be read as an early signal of whether that national picture holds.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Haley Stevens? Stevens is a Democratic member of Congress from Michigan who sought the Democratic Senate nomination in 2026 and lost the August primary to Abdul El-Sayed by less than a percentage point.
Who is Mike Rogers? Rogers is the Republican nominee for the Michigan Senate seat and a former Representative. He is endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Who is Abdul El-Sayed? El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for the Michigan Senate seat. If victorious on Tuesday, he would become the first Muslim to serve in the Senate, according to Le Monde.
When is Election Day? Election Day is Tuesday 3 November 2026. Early voting has already taken place in many states, with more than 51 million early ballots cast before 2 November 2026.
Does the endorsement change the Senate race result? No result has been decided. The endorsement changes the politics of the final two days of the campaign, but voters in Michigan will decide the seat on Tuesday.
Myth-busting: Stevens has not joined the Republican Party by endorsing Rogers, and her endorsement does not remove El-Sayed from the ballot. She remains, in her own words, a very proud Democrat who says she made a personal decision about this race, while the Michigan Democratic Party says she is no longer a member of the state party. Those are two different claims, and both are reported here as stated by their sources.
