Rep. Haley Stevens has ended her support for Abdul El-Sayed and endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan’s open Senate race. Stevens had previously been competing against El-Sayed in the Democratic primary before backing the Republican nominee instead.
Stevens said her decision was not anti-Muslim and expressed support for El-Sayed and his family. She reportedly became dissatisfied with the campaign after calling on El-Sayed to condemn political advertisements she considered anti-Semitic. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, had warned on “TMZ Live” that she could withdraw her support if El-Sayed did not respond to those concerns.
According to Stevens, she woke up Sunday and notified Rogers that she planned to attend church and support his campaign. During a joint press conference with Rogers, someone heckled Stevens by calling her a “traitor,” and the event ended abruptly.
Shortly before Stevens publicly endorsed Rogers, Detroit News Washington bureau chief Melissa Nann Burke reported that her official staff, including her longtime chief, was resigning. CNN later reported that Stevens’ chief of staff and communications director had resigned.
When asked about Stevens’ endorsement, El-Sayed told reporters, “I don’t think about Haley Stevens.” Stevens’ office had not responded to a request for comment at the time of the report.
Sources: TMZ.