U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) stated on Monday that an endorsement from fellow Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has triggered a backlash that is galvanizing support for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. The El-Sayed campaign reported raising more than $2.4 million on Sunday, the same day Stevens announced her support for Rogers.
The endorsement followed a public breakdown in relations between Stevens and El-Sayed, who were former primary rivals. Although Stevens initially endorsed El-Sayed after he won the Democratic nomination, the two had rarely campaigned together. A planned joint appearance for Sunday was canceled after El-Sayed asked Stevens not to attend, following days of public disagreement regarding Stevens' demands that El-Sayed apologize for past remarks about Israel.
Stevens said she decided to endorse the Republican candidate after feeling she was "booed off the stage" despite her initial attempts to stand with the Democratic party. She had previously called on El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement from an outside political action committee (PAC) that she characterized as antisemitic. El-Sayed's campaign stated last week that it was not affiliated with the advertisement in any way and accused Stevens of attempting to relitigate their primary contest.
The scale of the immediate impact includes $2.4 million raised by the El-Sayed campaign in a single 24-hour period on Sunday. Rep. Dingell noted that the endorsement has affected relations with religious leaders, stating that Black pastors have questioned Stevens' standing to represent their interests following the move.
Dingell has urged members of the House Democratic Caucus to avoid formal repercussions against Stevens to prevent further distraction from the election. The final outcome for both candidates and the impact of Stevens’ cross-party endorsement will be determined by voters during the election on Tuesday, November 3.