Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, two days out

Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens on Sunday endorsed Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, CNBC reported, a move the Guardian and the Financial Times also covered. The announcement came two days before voters decide which party controls Congress for the last two years of President Trump's term.

What happened

Stevens lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed and had backed him since. According to CNBC, tension rose over an ad from an outside group, Rebellion PAC, that depicted a couple debating whether they could afford groceries because of U.S. support for Israel. El-Sayed's campaign has said it was not involved with or affiliated with the ad.

In a video on X, Stevens said El-Sayed had said she was "no longer welcome in his campaign" and that "he's right," adding that she does not stand with commentator Hasan Piker, who has campaigned with the nominee. She attended a Sunday church service in Detroit with Rogers, per the Guardian, and then appeared with him at a press conference. Michigan Democrats had told her days earlier, the Guardian reported on Oct. 31, to stay away from El-Sayed campaign events. "I'm sorry people are upset," she told reporters.

The fallout

• Staff: Her chief of staff of eight years, Justin German, said many team members resigned and that they support El-Sayed.
• Democratic leaders: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement "a despicable betrayal." Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin disavowed it. State party chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party "nor will she be in the future."
• Other Democrats: The Guardian quotes Neera Tanden, a former Biden adviser, calling the move "a betrayal of everything Haley Stevens has fought for." Hertel said Rogers "wants to pass a national abortion ban" and has pledged to be a loyal vote for Trump's agenda; that is the party's characterization, not our finding.
• El-Sayed: Standing with Rep. Jim Clyburn and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, he said, "I actually don't think about Haley Stevens," and turned to health care and school lunches.
• President Trump: He praised the endorsement on Truth Social.

Why it matters

The seat is open because Sen. Peters is not seeking re-election, and the outcome could decide Senate control, where Republicans hold a slim majority. No poll is cited in the reporting we read, so we cannot say whether the endorsement moves votes.

For business owners and investors, the practical point is timing: control of the Senate decides what tax, tariff and nomination fights come next. Expect Senate-control headlines to stay unsettled until close races, including Alaska's ranked-choice contest, are called.

Sources: CNBC; The Guardian; Financial Times (headline). All statements are attributed to the people who made them. This is news reporting, not investment advice.