El-Sayed rallies Michigan Democrats after Stevens endorses Rogers

Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed told Michigan voters on Monday to head to the polls after his former primary rival, Rep. Haley Stevens, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers. The endorsement, announced Sunday, forced Democratic leaders to refocus their final push before the Tuesday midterms.

El-Sayed addressed a crowd at Eastern Michigan University on Monday morning. He did not mention the Stevens controversy in his speech. Instead, he emphasized that the campaign centers on voters. When asked how to calm nervous supporters, he gave a direct answer. "Go vote," El-Sayed said. "There’s only one thing we can do to control the outcome."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined El-Sayed at the rally. His grandparents also greeted the crowd. The event followed a turbulent Sunday when Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit. She announced her support for the Republican candidate shortly after standing with him in the pews.

The endorsement prompted her expulsion from the state Democratic Party. Party leaders, including longtime allies, issued strong condemnation. Curtis Hertel, the Michigan Democratic Party Chair, said the move would energize the base. "I don’t think this changes the election results other than it galvanizes Democrats," Hertel said.

El-Sayed’s campaign reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday, its largest fundraising day. The state party noted a surge in volunteers seeking door-knocking assignments. Debbie Rosenman, who leads two Democratic organizations in southeast Michigan, said local Democrats felt betrayed by the reversal. "What I am hearing is fury," Rosenman said. Organizers moved campaign literature between locations to meet the high demand for canvassing work.

More than 2.3 million Michigan voters had already cast ballots as of Monday. Nearly 4.5 million people voted in the 2022 midterms. Regular early in-person voting ended Sunday, with polls set to reopen statewide on Tuesday. Lori Goldman, a Democratic organizer in Oakland County, said half the electorate has already voted. "But for the rest, it could matter a hell of a lot," Goldman said.

Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist who supported Stevens, called the endorsement "colossally stupid." He said the decision stemmed from personal animosity rather than policy differences. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a senior Democratic figure, said she uninvited Stevens from a planned unity event because the dispute had become "distracting."