2.3 Million Michiganders Voted Before Stevens Switch

More than 2.3 million Michigan residents have already cast their ballots for the U.S. Senate race. This figure represents a large portion of the nearly 4.5 million people who voted in the 2022 midterms. The remaining voters will head to the polls on Tuesday.

The final days of this campaign have been defined by a sudden shift in support. Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday. She appeared alongside him at a church service in Detroit. This move followed her loss to Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed in the August primary.

Stevens had previously pledged her support to El-Sayed after the primary. She stated she would do whatever he asked of her on the campaign trail. However, she remained largely absent from public appearances for months. Tensions grew between the two candidates over issues including the war in Gaza and El-Sayed's public comments regarding a synagogue attack.

The dispute escalated over a planned unity event for Sunday. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a senior Michigan Democrat, uninvited Stevens from the gathering. Dingell cited the dispute as distracting. Hours later, Stevens walked into Perfecting Church with Rogers. She announced her switch to the Republican side shortly after the service.

The state Democratic Party reacted quickly. Leaders expelled Stevens from the party. Party Chair Curtis Hertel stated that the event would galvanize the Democratic base. El-Sayed did not address the controversy directly during a Monday morning rally at Eastern Michigan University. Instead, he focused on voter turnout. He told supporters to go vote, noting it is the only way to control the outcome.

El-Sayed raised $2.4 million on Sunday. This was his largest fundraising day of the campaign. The state party also reported a surge in volunteers. Organizers in southeast Michigan said people showed up at offices without prior sign-ups. Some locations had to move literature to handle the demand for canvassing assignments.

For the Republican side, the endorsement serves as a key talking point. Rogers personally contacted Stevens over the weekend to arrange the meeting. His staff learned of the endorsement only after it was posted online. The campaign is now promoting the switch to undecided voters in the state.

Local organizers describe a mixed reaction among Democrats. Lori Goldman, an organizer in Oakland County, noted that half of the voters have already cast their ballots. She believes the drama could significantly impact the remaining undecided voters. Other supporters expressed anger at Stevens. Debbie Rosenman, who leads two Democratic groups in southeast Michigan, said local members feel betrayed by the reversal.

The primary race was close. El-Sayed defeated Stevens by approximately 14,000 votes. That contest was expensive and marked by disagreements on policy. Some Democrats who backed Stevens are now critical of both candidates. Adrian Hemond, a strategist who supported Stevens, said the endorsement stemmed from personal animosity rather than policy differences. He stated that if policy were the issue, Stevens would have switched a month earlier.

Stevens explained her decision in a CNN interview. She said El-Sayed had become increasingly angry and did not want certain people in his campaign. She described the switch as a weight off her shoulders. Dingell called the interview painful to watch and said she had worried about Stevens all week. Polls reopen statewide on Tuesday for the final day of voting.