Abdul El-Sayed campaign tells Rep. Haley Stevens not to show up at event after clash over Israel
Shifting loyalties.
The race for the Michigan Senate seat took a sharp turn as Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign told Rep. Haley Stevens not to show up at a Sunday, November 1, 2026, event. According to NBC News, this decision followed a public clash over Israel that has dominated the final days of the campaign. Stevens, who previously competed against El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, found herself distanced from the rally.
The fallout from this exclusion reached a peak on Sunday when Stevens flipped her position. She decided to speak out in support of El-Sayed’s Republican rival, Mike Rogers, and even appeared at an event with him. The tension between the two Democrats has been building for days. It started when Stevens demanded that El-Sayed condemn an advertisement produced by an outside group called Rebellion PAC.
Stevens labeled the ad, which suggests that the war in Gaza and support for Israel are causing high grocery prices for American taxpayers, as antisemitic. “This ad tells Michigan families they cannot afford groceries because their money has to be set aside for ‘killing Palestinians,’ and it blames our close ally Israel for everything Michiganders cannot afford,” Stevens said in a statement.
Stevens has argued that El-Sayed needs to apologize for his own campaign rhetoric
“I therefore expect him to apologize for those statements as well,” Stevens noted. “Abdul promises to get money out of politics. He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
El-Sayed, who won the primary in August, has maintained that his campaign is not affiliated with Rebellion PAC. His team distanced itself from the ad earlier. Despite this, the conflict escalated quickly. Stevens also demanded that El-Sayed remove one of his own advertisements that featured right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson. She claimed this was necessary out of respect for Michigan’s Black community.
El-Sayed hit back, suggesting that Stevens was attempting to relitigate a primary election that finished three months ago. He stated that his focus remains on healthcare and affordability. “That focus is why our people-powered campaign defeated a historic $70M in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC on behalf of Congresswoman Stevens,” El-Sayed said.
The situation grew more complicated on Saturday. An advisory for the Sunday event in Detroit, which was intended to feature El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn, did not list Stevens as a participant. A person familiar with the situation said that the campaign asked Stevens to stay away because of concerns regarding distractions. By Sunday, the rift was complete.
Stevens confirmed that she had been told not to attend
“…Abdul was very clear. He said, ‘Don’t come,’” Stevens told reporters while standing next to Rogers. She pointed to his decision to campaign with Hasan Piker and the fact that he disinvited her as reasons for her shift. She also cited his struggle to answer a debate question about whether Iran or Israel posed a bigger threat to the United States.
El-Sayed seemed unfazed by the sudden endorsement of his opponent. According to The Hill,
while appearing with Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. Jim Clyburn on Sunday, he said that he was not focused on his former rival.
“At the end of the day, I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens,” El-Sayed said. He emphasized that his priority remained the voters of Michigan. “This is a state of 10 million people who deserve a lot better from the government. I’m a lot more focused on the 9,999,998 that are not the ones you guys are talking about,” he added.
The move by Stevens has caused significant internal friction
Several aides from her official office, including her chief of staff, resigned shortly after she backed Rogers. Some of her former Senate campaign staff members also expressed their disapproval on X. Arik Wolk, who served as a spokesman for her Senate bid, called the developments “ridiculous and pathetic.”
National Democrats also moved quickly to distance themselves from the congresswoman. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, released a statement defending the nominee.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher: Mike Rogers is a rubber stamp for Donald Trump, and together they plan to continue sowing chaos and making life unaffordable for families while prioritizing their billionaire donors at the expense of Michigan families,” she said. She added that the party stands behind El-Sayed and rejects efforts to divide Democrats.
The race for the Senate seat remains a toss-up according to the Cook Political Report, though some polling averages show El-Sayed with a lead. As voters head to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, the impact of this public split remains to be seen.
While some, like Rep. Debbie Dingell, attempted to downplay the conflict, the reality of the situation is that a sitting Democratic congresswoman has actively chosen to support the Republican nominee in a critical battleground race. For now, the El-Sayed campaign is moving forward, insisting that their platform remains the only one that truly addresses the needs of Michigan families.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
