The decision by Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., to endorse Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers was apparently a sudden change of heart, and tied to the Abdul El-Sayed campaign’s stay-away order this weekend.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said Stevens told her Saturday night that reports of an impending Rogers endorsement were not accurate.
“It’s very hard,” Dingell told local FOX 2 on Sunday night. “Haley Stevens told me at midnight last night this was all a rumor and was not true.”
DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS ENDORSES GOP SENATE NOMINEE MIKE ROGERS AT DETROIT CHURCH
Five hours later, Stevens was standing shoulder to shoulder with Rogers at a Detroit church service.
“She texted me at 7:45, watching you on MS NOW, heart, heart,” Dingell continued. “And by the way, I talked to her. Look, I’m just upset. I’m very concerned. It’s sad, but I don’t want to be distracted anymore.”
The Detroit church event was intended to bring unity for El-Sayed’s campaign, because Stevens had won the Black vote, but instead, after being told by the Democratic nominee to stay away, she unified with Rogers.
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“We got a phone call this morning and, you know, there’s been a lot of unfortunate activity, I think,” Rogers told FOX 2 Detroit. “Abdul discarded Haley Stevens, was rude to Haley Stevens, has been rude, I think, to many in the African-American community. At least that’s what they’re telling me. And I think this just boiled over when he dis-invited her to the campaign event that was supposed to happen today. And basically said don’t need you and don’t need your supporters.”
Rogers welcomed the early November surprise with just two days to go before Tuesday’s Election Day in a race that could flip the Democratic Senate seat red and help President Donald Trump’s party keep control of the upper chamber.
“I think she picked up the phone today after having lots of, apparently, conversations with a lot of people and picked up a phone and said, ‘Hey, I heard you’re going to church, you want some company?'” Rogers added. “And so that was, I mean, we were very welcome for her, I’m very welcome to have her support.”
The unity event became divisive for the former Democratic Senate primary combatants after Stevens called on El-Sayed to condemn an outside group’s ad that she said blamed Israel for high grocery prices. Stevens’ fiancé Jason Turkish, a Democratic donor and Jewish lawyer, said earlier in the week that he was going to vote for Rogers, raising concern from El-Sayed’s campaign and other Democrats.
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El-Sayed’s campaign then asked Stevens to skip his events through Election Day to avoid distracting from the race, sources said.
In a social media video, Stevens said, “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign.”
Rogers said Democrats were “veering off into the virulent hate” directed at a group of people, while Stevens’ mother, Maria Marcotte, told Reuters her daughter was concerned about rhetoric she believed frightened constituents.
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Despite the rift, El-Sayed’s campaign said it raised $1.2 million in the four hours after Stevens’ endorsement, its second-best fundraising day since the August primary.
Fox News Power Rankings’ latest projection rates the race as a Toss Up. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority.
While midterm election history tends to deliver power back to the party in the minority, Trump and Republicans have put added emphasis on retaining Senate control to hold back what is expected to become a Democrat-controlled House.
Reuters contributed to this report.
