Democrat backs Republican in Michigan Senate race, sparking party rift

Republicans led by former US President Donald Trump received an unexpected boost in Michigan’s Senate race after Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost the primary to Abdul El-Sayed, publicly endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers.

Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church two days before the midterm elections, fueling controversy and divisions within the Democratic Party in a state seen as crucial to their hopes of regaining control of the Senate.

In a video posted on social media, Stevens said: “There is no place for me in Abdul’s campaign.”

Later, Trump invited Stevens at a rally in Iowa to join the Republican Party, telling reporters he would thank her for her support, calling it “a smart move because El-Sayed would destroy our country.”

Voting is set for Tuesday for 35 Senate seats and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both chambers, while polls suggest Democrats are favored to win the House and face a tight contest for Senate control, with key battlegrounds including Michigan and Alaska.

In Michigan, Stevens was expected to appear with El-Sayed at a party unity event, but it was canceled after Stevens asked El-Sayed to condemn a statement by an outside group blaming Israel for rising food prices in the US.

Standing beside Rogers at the Detroit church service, Stevens told reporters: “We cannot stand with hate.” El-Sayed’s campaign asked Stevens to avoid his events until Election Day to “keep the focus on core campaign issues,” according to a source familiar with the matter.

Republicans seized on Stevens’ move, with Rogers saying: “This is courage in American politics today. When you see a party or part of it veer toward intense hatred of a group of people, it becomes dangerous.”

At the Iowa rally, Trump repeated false claims that El-Sayed is a “jihadist,” part of a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric targeting Arab Americans and Muslims. El-Sayed has faced racist and Islamophobic attacks, rejecting such accusations and calling questions about his loyalty to the US “shameful.”

El-Sayed declined to comment directly on Stevens’ endorsement, saying he was focused on other issues.

RealClearPolitics estimates showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by about four points in early Michigan voting. After casting her ballot for El-Sayed in Warren, Pamela Johnson, 72, said: “Haley Stevens is a traitor.”

David Kollar, 32, an elementary school teacher, called Stevens’ endorsement “a last-minute distraction,” explaining he voted for El-Sayed because of his support for government-funded universal healthcare.

CNN and The Hill reported that several of Stevens’ congressional staffers resigned over her support for Rogers.

Justin German, Stevens’ chief of staff, could not be reached to verify a statement attributed to him: “As of this morning, many of our team members, including myself, have resigned,” describing himself as “shocked and heartbroken” by the endorsement.

In Alaska, the Trump administration’s attempt to intervene in the Senate race faltered after a federal judge rejected a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of results if Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan lost by a narrow margin.

The department cited potential voter confusion due to the presence of a rival candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the same ballot.

The case sparked controversy following reports that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign had recruited Sullivan Jr. to confuse voters.

Senator Sullivan said he would accept the election results despite pressure from the Trump administration for a criminal investigation. Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy hinted he might not certify a Peltola victory, while Sullivan declined to state his position on these efforts.

Sullivan accused his opponent of trying to mislead voters due to the similarity of their names, telling CNN: “They put a fake candidate on the ballot... I’m sure I’ll lose a lot of votes because of this trick. What I say to Alaskans: Don’t let them get away with these schemes.” Peltola and Sullivan Jr. denied any coordination.