By Camilo Diniz
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan broke with her own party on Sunday and announced her support for Republican Mike Rogers, President Donald Trump's preferred candidate, just two days before the U.S. midterm elections. The move was celebrated by Trump and left Democrats in an uproar, in what is one of the most contested Senate races in the country.
According to the Portuguese outlet JN, Stevens announced her endorsement in a video posted on X and appeared alongside Rogers at a service in an African American church.
Stevens says Democratic nominee told her to stay away
Stevens narrowly lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed. According to JN, the two had been at odds for days over U.S. policy toward Israel. On Saturday, El-Sayed reportedly said he did not want her at a campaign event, arguing that he did not "want distractions."
According to CNBC, cited by the Brazilian site Spacemoney, the rift also involved an ad from a political action committee. Stevens also said she does not support Hasan Piker, a political commentator who campaigned alongside El-Sayed.
In the video, Stevens was blunt: "Our Democratic Senate nominee told me I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away." JN reports that she said she had no place in El-Sayed's campaign and accused the candidate of promoting "hate" rhetoric. The post on the @areamilitarof profile on X, which called the episode a "twist" in the campaign, says the decision was condemned by Democratic leaders at the state and national levels, and that prominent Democrats in Congress signaled support for El-Sayed.
Trump celebrates; El-Sayed plays it down
Trump reacted quickly on his platform, Truth Social. "Wow, this is HUGE!" he wrote, according to JN. The president also said that "Haley said what few people dare to say" and praised the congresswoman's "loyalty" and "courage," highlighting her influence among Jewish and African American voters.
Asked about the episode, El-Sayed said he was not "thinking about Haley Stevens" and was "less interested in politicking than in public policy," according to JN.
Why it matters: the fight for Michigan's Senate seat
Rogers and El-Sayed are competing for a seat that will open up because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters decided not to seek re-election, according to Spacemoney. Polls give El-Sayed a slight edge, according to JN. Holding the seat is considered crucial for Democrats hoping to win a Senate majority during the last two years of Trump's second term.
The votes of African American and Jewish communities, traditionally Democratic in the state, could be decisive. What remains to be seen is whether Stevens' gesture, a public defection at the very end of the campaign, will be strong enough to move those voters at the ballot box.
VDD Analysis
When a member of a party's own congressional delegation says publicly that she was pushed out of the campaign, the party has a problem that goes beyond Michigan. The episode shows the cost of a left that prioritizes ideological purity and alienates people who could add support. In a tight election, every moderate vote that slips away can cost a Senate seat.
Based on reporting from diario.dopovo.com.br, jn.pt, noticiasaominuto.com, spacemoney.com.br and the @areamilitarof profile on X.
