The fiancé of Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan, has expressed his inability to support Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, citing concerns about antisemitism. Despite this, Stevens remains steadfast in her support for El-Sayed. Jason Turkish, a Jewish registered Democrat, stated to The Detroit News that he plans to vote for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, mentioning his attendance at a Rogers event hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Turkish, a lawyer, expressed his disappointment, saying, “I waited, and I watched and I listened for Abdul to moderate – but he didn’t moderate, he escalated.” He criticized El-Sayed for worsening tensions rather than uniting people.
Meanwhile, Stevens is holding her ground in favor of El-Sayed, who won a hard-fought primary against her. “Like a lot of households across America, we’re a house divided,” she shared with CNN. “I still very much want our Democratic nominee, his name is Abdul, to win this race. There’s so much on the line.”
Turkish has expressed that El-Sayed’s rhetoric about Israel puts his community at risk, particularly with claims related to Gaza. He said, “When he says genocide over and over again… he makes my community less safe.” Turkish also noted that El-Sayed’s refusal to condemn controversial statements linking Jews to various issues is troubling.
El-Sayed has been vocal in his criticism of Israel, labeling the situation in Gaza as genocide. In response, he argues that Israel’s military actions are against terrorists using civilians as shields. Turkish pointed out that El-Sayed’s comments could incite anti-Jewish sentiments, stating, “Every time he talks about genocide, Jews get death threats. We have never seen a candidate for U.S. Senate act so recklessly toward the safety of Jews in the community as we have seen from Abdul.”
Additionally, Turkish criticized El-Sayed’s connections to Hasan Piker, a media figure known for inflammatory remarks, and noted that El-Sayed has become confrontational with the press when questioned about these associations.
Turkish believes that El-Sayed’s rhetoric is full of “equivocation” and suggests that such attitudes could lead to rejection by voters in Michigan. He has framed his decision to support Rogers, despite his affiliation with the Democratic Party, as “putting country before party.”
At a recent campaign event, Rogers emphasized, “This is not someone we can let into the United States Senate.” He did not mention Turkish’s vote but expressed concerns about El-Sayed’s ability to confront threats from adversarial nations.
Turkish is the second significant person from Stevens’ circle to back Rogers recently, with her former campaign chair also announcing voting intentions for Rogers. Although Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after the primary, she has not actively campaigned alongside him since.
