Haley Stevens’s rapid shift from Democratic Senate candidate to campaigning for Republican Mike Rogers has placed Israel at the center of her political reversal. Stevens previously described Rogers as a candidate who would enable Donald Trump’s agenda, but backed him after losing the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed.
The decision followed a dispute over El-Sayed’s position on Israel. Stevens criticized him over alleged antisemitism and his associations, as well as an advertisement linking rising grocery prices to US support for Israel. The advertisement was produced by an outside group, not El-Sayed’s campaign, and he rejected its contents.
Stevens had been expected to appear with El-Sayed and veteran congressman Jim Clyburn at a Detroit church in an effort to demonstrate Democratic unity. Instead, she issued a lengthy statement attacking El-Sayed and was told she was no longer welcome at campaign events.
In a subsequent CNN interview, Stevens was repeatedly asked what had changed between her assurances to Democrats and her endorsement of Rogers. She offered no clear explanation, describing the decision as “a weight off my shoulders” and focusing on what she characterized as El-Sayed’s anger and lack of kindness.
The endorsement has drawn condemnation from Democrats across the party. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer called it “a despicable betrayal”, while Michigan representative Debbie Dingell, a friend of Stevens, said she had seriously harmed herself. Michigan Democratic party chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens was no longer a member of the party and would not be one in the future.
The episode has also raised questions about the influence of Stevens’s fiancé, Jason Turkish, a pro-Israel lawyer who had donated to Democrats before supporting Rogers and other Republican candidates. Aipac and affiliated groups spent around $30m seeking to help Stevens win the primary, their largest investment in a single race, but she lost to El-Sayed. The group reportedly later spent $9m supporting Rogers.
El-Sayed has made the cost of living, money in politics and Medicare for All the central themes of his campaign. He has argued that US military aid to Israel would be better directed toward domestic priorities, while also repeatedly affirming his commitment to Jewish safety and condemning antisemitism.
Stevens, who once called for Medicare for All, now opposes the proposed universal healthcare system and has consistently accepted corporate political action committee money. Although she is closer to El-Sayed than Rogers on many issues, including opposition to Trump, she chose to support the Trump-endorsed Republican, who has voted for abortion restrictions.
The dispute comes amid growing Democratic skepticism toward continued US support for Israel. The article notes that a United Nations commission concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, while Democratic senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley accused Israel of pursuing a systematic campaign to destroy and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza. A May New York Times/Siena poll found that 74% of Democratic voters opposed further military and economic support for Israel.
Stevens’s intervention threatens to complicate Democratic efforts to unite behind El-Sayed after a divisive primary. It has also reinforced his argument that party leaders have treated support for Israel as a condition of political acceptance. Trump celebrated Stevens’s endorsement and suggested she should join the Republican party. El-Sayed responded: “I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens.”
Sources: The Guardian World.