With Election Day approaching this Tuesday, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has requested that his former primary rival, Representative Haley Stevens, refrain from participating in his final campaign events. Sources familiar with the situation indicate that the request follows a series of public confrontations that have strained the unity of the Democratic ticket. Politico was first to report El-Sayed had asked Stevens to stay away. This Sunday’s “60 Minutes” will feature Ross Douthat’s exclusive interviews with Michigan Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers.
The discord reached a breaking point on Friday, shortly before a planned joint appearance between the two politicians at a Detroit church. That event, which was expected to feature South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, had already prompted questions after El-Sayed’s campaign materials failed to acknowledge Stevens’ involvement.
The friction stems from sharp disagreements regarding campaign rhetoric.
Stevens recently demanded that El-Sayed, a vocal critic of U.S. military aid to Israel, issue an apology for remarks suggesting that Israel is responsible for Michigan’s inability to fund essential services like health care, child care, and schools. Stevens challenged his position directly, stating that while he promises to remove money from politics, he should begin by removing Israel as a scapegoat for the state’s financial constraints.
Furthermore, Stevens has called on El-Sayed to disavow a controversial advertisement produced by the Rebellion PAC. The ad, which portrays a couple in a grocery store struggling to afford eggs due to military spending on Israel, was labeled as antisemitic by Stevens. El-Sayed’s campaign has maintained that they have no affiliation with the PAC or its creative messaging, asserting that the candidate speaks only for himself. The video ad features a couple in a grocery store talking about needing to put a carton of eggs back on the shelf because “we have to set that $7 aside for killing Palestinians. According to el-Sayed’s campaign, Earlier this week it was not affiliated “in any way” with the ad, which was created by the political action committee Rebellion PAC. Struggling farmers are split, in tight Kansas Senate race.
Tensions in the relationship have extended into the personal sphere as well. Earlier this week, Stevens revealed that her fiancé, Jason Turkish, intends to vote for the Republican nominee, Mike Rogers. While Stevens publicly stated her own commitment to voting for El-Sayed during a recent CNN interview, she simultaneously urged his campaign to actively address and reject divisive rhetoric.
Responding to the mounting pressure, El-Sayed issued a statement Friday night criticizing Stevens for attempting to re-litigate a primary election that concluded three months ago. He also faces scrutiny from Stevens regarding an advertisement he released that features former Fox News host and podcaster Tucker Carlson. How to watch live 2026 midterm election results on.
As the campaign nears its conclusion, the Democratic Party is working to consolidate support against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, who is actively courting centrist voters. Although Stevens provided an endorsement following the primary, the two have rarely campaigned together, reflecting the deep ideological divisions that remain within the party as they face the final days of the election cycle. And although Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after he won the nomination, the two largely haven’t campaigned alongside each other, el-Sayed and the more moderate Stevens offered starkly differing visions for the future of the party during the primary.
