Haley Stevens Refusing To Back Down

Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens said Wednesday she still stands by her endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers, even after he lost Michigan’s U.S. Senate race to Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

In a post on X, Stevens acknowledged that her decision had consequences and said she was sorry it hurt colleagues and people close to her. The endorsement she said she regretted was her original one for El-Sayed, who defeated her in the Democratic primary.

El-Sayed received 52.52 percent of the vote to Rogers’ 45.48 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ’s tally as of Wednesday afternoon.

Why Stevens switched her endorsement

Stevens said her support for Israel, a point of disagreement during the primary, helped drive her decision. As co-chair of the House caucus on antisemitism, she said she was troubled by El-Sayed’s association with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker, whose remarks she described as antisemitic.

Stevens said she initially backed El-Sayed because she had long believed a party should come together after a primary. She hoped she could help him moderate his positions, but said she came away convinced he had moved further from her views.

Stevens stands by Rogers after the backlash

Stevens endorsed Rogers two days before the midterms, drawing criticism from fellow Democrats. Members of her staff resigned shortly afterward. She defended the decision in a Sunday interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and told NewsNation on Election Day that backing Rogers was worth the fallout.

In her Wednesday statement, Stevens said she intends to finish her term and continue speaking out against antisemitism in either party. She also congratulated the election winners and said Democrats should have room for more than one viewpoint.