Michigan Democrats rally after rival endorses Republican

Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan Democrats launched a final push on Monday to secure voter turnout for the Tuesday midterms. The effort came after former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Stevens made the move on Sunday, a decision that triggered her expulsion from the state Democratic Party and drew sharp criticism from party leaders.

El-Sayed held a rally at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti on Monday morning. He did not address the Stevens controversy during his speech. Instead, he framed the campaign as a mission for voters rather than a personal endeavor. When reporters asked how to reassure supporters worried about the endorsement, he gave a direct instruction. "Go vote," he said. "There’s only one thing we can do to control the outcome." Sen. Elizabeth Warren and El-Sayed's grandparents joined him on stage to greet the crowd.

The political shakeup occurred with over 2.3 million Michigan voters having already cast ballots. The state's regular early in-person voting period ended on Sunday, leaving Tuesday's polls as the final opportunity for those who have not yet voted. In the 2022 midterms, nearly 4.5 million people participated in the election. The current race is being closely monitored across the country due to its potential impact on Senate control.

For the Republican side, the endorsement represented a major strategic win. Rogers personally contacted Stevens over the weekend to arrange the meeting, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions. The Rogers staff was unaware of the planned joint appearance at Perfecting Church until Sunday morning. They learned of the endorsement only after it was posted online. The campaign began promoting the alliance to voters on Monday.

For Democrats, the defection revealed ongoing internal divisions. El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens in the August primary by roughly 14,000 votes. That contest was expensive and marked by disagreements over Israel and the war in Gaza. Party leaders spent the final weeks trying to unify support for El-Sayed, specifically targeting Jewish and Black voters who had strongly backed Stevens. Despite the split, El-Sayed reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday, his largest fundraising day of the campaign. The state party also noted a surge in volunteers signing up for door-knocking shifts.

Curtis Hertel, the Michigan Democratic Party Chair, said the endorsement would energize the base without changing the final result. "I don’t think this changes the election results other than it galvanizes Democrats," Hertel said. Lori Goldman, a Democratic organizer in Oakland County, noted that while half the electorate has already voted, the drama could still influence the remainder. "For the rest, it could matter a hell of a lot," she said.

Reactions from local supporters and critics were mixed but often pointed to personal friction. Cassaundra Sims, a resident of West Bloomfield who previously voted for Stevens, described the endorsement as shocking and disappointing. She said Stevens' support for Rogers showed a lack of trust from the Black community. Debbie Rosenman, who leads two Democratic organizations in southeast Michigan, reported feeling fury and betrayal among local members. Adrian Hemond, a strategist who plans to leave the Senate race blank, argued the move was driven by personal animosity rather than policy. "This is colossally stupid," Hemond said. "It has zero to do with any substance."

Tensions escalated following a planned Sunday unity event. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a senior Michigan Democrat close to Stevens, uninvited the congresswoman from the gathering because the dispute had become distracting. Dingell said she had been worried about Stevens all week after the two sparred publicly over Israel. Stevens announced her endorsement for Rogers shortly after appearing with him at church. In a subsequent CNN interview, Stevens called the decision a weight off her shoulders. Dingell described watching Stevens' interview as one of the most painful she had seen.