Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers praised Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens on Monday for putting the country before her party. He also criticized Democrats for attacking her after she unexpectedly endorsed him over their nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.
Speaking with Brian Kilmeade, Rogers said Stevens’ decision had changed the race. He said she called him Sunday morning as he was heading to church, then decided to publicly support his campaign after losing the Democratic primary to El-Sayed.
Rogers described Stevens as a congresswoman who had decided America mattered more than party loyalty. He argued that voters should not elect someone he characterized as divisive and hostile toward Jewish people.
Stevens’ endorsement drew criticism from prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Schumer called it a “despicable betrayal,” while Pelosi said Stevens had dangerously let down Michigan families by backing Rogers.
The move was a sharp turn for Stevens. After her primary defeat, she had avoided explicitly endorsing El-Sayed, though she continued to identify herself with the Democratic Party. In an October CNN interview, she said she was “still on the team” and intended to support Democrats on the ballot, but did not say she backed El-Sayed.
The relationship between the former primary rivals had become strained during the campaign. Stevens urged El-Sayed to denounce an outside group’s advertisement that connected U.S. support for Israel with rising grocery prices, calling the ad antisemitic. El-Sayed’s campaign later asked her not to attend its remaining events. He said his campaign had not made the ad and that he disagreed with it.
Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, had already said he planned to vote for Rogers. Turkish, a Jewish Michigan attorney and registered Democrat, said El-Sayed’s comments about Israel had made the Jewish community less safe. He described his choice as putting country ahead of party.
Even shortly before Stevens announced her endorsement, she appeared to be denying that she would back Rogers. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said she had spoken with Stevens around midnight Saturday and that Stevens dismissed reports of an imminent endorsement as a rumor that was not true.
Hours later, Stevens joined Rogers at a church service in Detroit and announced she would cross party lines to support him. Rogers said he had not known what she would decide when she called. He recalled inviting her to the church and said she made up her mind during the drive there.
Rogers said he and Stevens had a good phone conversation and rejected suggestions that she had been offered anything in return. He said his campaign had no advance warning of her decision and that Stevens told him she had not asked anyone to join her—she was simply explaining what she planned to do.
He also criticized Democrats for attacking Stevens, saying she had made clear she would vote for Democrats in other races but support him instead of El-Sayed. Rogers said party figures were now treating her harshly for that choice, and argued that electing someone he believes is hostile toward a group of people would be damaging for both Democrats and the country.
On Kilmeade’s show, Rogers was also asked about a New York Times and Siena poll released Sunday. It showed El-Sayed ahead 53% to 42% among likely Michigan voters, a wider lead than other surveys had found.
Rogers disputed the result, saying his campaign’s internal polling and analysis showed the contest was tied or that he was ahead by one or two points. He also said the survey may have understated his support among Black voters in Detroit, where he said his campaign had made progress.
Stevens had previously questioned El-Sayed’s efforts to reach Black voters. In the October interview, she said she had urged him and his campaign to give a speech to the Black community, but that it had not happened.
