Democrat endorses Republican candidate in key Michigan Senate race as party spat escalates

A Democrat from Michigan has endorsed the Republican candidate in the state's closely-watched US Senate race, as tensions between her own party's candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Stevens escalated just days before the election. Stevens, a former congresswoman who lost the Democratic nomination to El-Sayed, made a surprise appearance alongside Republican candidate Mike Rogers at a church service.

In a subsequent video on social media platform X, Stevens clarified that she is not part of El-Sayed's campaign and criticized her Democratic nominee for her divisive rhetoric. Stevens stated that she supports Mike Rogers due to the party's current direction, which she deems as fostering hate. She also mentioned that El-Sayed had informed her she was no longer welcome in his campaign.

The two had planned to campaign together but were reportedly separated at the last minute due to their ongoing public disagreements. These disagreements were sparked by a liberal group's ad that accused Israel of causing high food prices. El-Sayed, who has not commented on Stevens's endorsement, denied any involvement in the ad's content.

The Michigan Senate race is considered one of the most pivotal contests in the upcoming midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years. It is among a select group of closely contested races that could ultimately decide the balance of power in the Senate.