Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has requested that his primary rival, Representative Haley Stevens, refrain from attending any of his remaining campaign events in the final days before Tuesday's election. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the request, which follows a clash between the two Democrats on Friday regarding a planned Sunday campaign event where they were expected to make a rare joint appearance.
The public rift occurs just days before one of the nation's most competitive Senate races, as Republican nominee Mike Rogers works to attract centrist Democratic voters. Although Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after he won the primary, the two have largely campaigned separately, reflecting the starkly different visions they offered for the party during the primary election. In a statement on Friday evening, El-Sayed remarked that Stevens "seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago."
This tension escalated after Stevens demanded that El-Sayed apologize for suggesting during the campaign that "Israel is the reason Michigan cannot afford schools, health care, and child care." Stevens stated, "Abdul promises to get money out of politics. He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford." Additionally, Stevens urged El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement from an outside group, Rebellion PAC, which she labeled as antisemitic. The ad features a couple in a grocery store discussing the need to return a carton of eggs because "we have to set that $7 aside for killing Palestinians," while criticizing U.S. military support for Israel. El-Sayed’s campaign stated earlier in the week that it was not affiliated "in any way" with the ad, adding, "No one speaks for Abdul but himself and his campaign."
Stevens also called on El-Sayed to remove his own campaign advertisement featuring former Fox News host and podcaster Tucker Carlson. Prior to the request for her to stay away, Stevens had planned to appear with El-Sayed and South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn at a Detroit church on Sunday. However, a subsequent announcement from El-Sayed’s campaign regarding the event with Clyburn did not mention Stevens. The political friction is mirrored in personal dynamics; earlier this week, Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, told The Detroit News he would vote for Mike Rogers. In a later CNN interview, Stevens confirmed she would vote for El-Sayed, noting, "We're a household divided," while simultaneously calling on his campaign "to shut out the hate and to call it out."
The upcoming Sunday episode of "60 Minutes" is scheduled to feature exclusive interviews with both Michigan Senate candidates, Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, conducted by Ross Douthat.
