DETROIT: Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan’s US Senate seat on Sunday, prompting staff resignations and criticism from fellow Democrats two days before the election.
Stevens announced her decision in a social media video and appeared alongside Rogers at a press conference in Detroit. Her former chief of staff, Justin German, confirmed that he and several colleagues had resigned.
German described himself as “shocked and heartbroken” by the decision. Stevens had narrowly lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August.
Their disagreement intensified over an advertisement from an outside political action committee. The advertisement suggested that US assistance to Israel contributed to rising prices. Stevens wanted El-Sayed to condemn it more forcefully.
On Friday, El-Sayed accused Stevens of attempting to revisit their primary contest. Stevens later claimed El-Sayed told her to stay away from his campaign.
During a CNN interview, she insisted that she still wanted Democrats to control the Senate. She defended her endorsement as an individual decision.
Read: US Midterms Raise Democracy Fears Among Voters in Mexico
Representative Jamie Raskin told Axios that Stevens had assured him the previous evening she intended to vote for Democratic candidates.
Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel wrote on X that Stevens was no longer a party member and would not be one going forward.
Read: Trump Attacks El-Sayed at US Midterm Rally in Michigan
Several House Democrats criticised the endorsement. However, two unnamed centrist Democrats blamed El-Sayed for allowing the dispute to escalate. Rogers and El-Sayed face each other in Tuesday’s Senate election.
