The bitter personal feud that could imperil a key Senate race for Democrats

In the final days before the Michigan Senate election on November 1, 2026, former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican and the candidate for the US Senate, and Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan, engaged in a bitter personal feud that could potentially jeopardize the Democrats' chances in the race. The controversy began when Stevens, who had previously endorsed her primary rival, Abdul El-Sayed, switched her support to Rogers.

Stevens had initially endorsed El-Sayed in the general election against Rogers, citing comments made by El-Sayed about Israel and an antisemitic ad from a PAC supporting El-Sayed. However, just two days before the election, Stevens abruptly endorsed Rogers, claiming that El-Sayed had told her to "stay away" from his campaign. This turn of events was met with harsh criticism from Democrats, including Reps.

James Clyburn and Debbie Dingell, who tried to negotiate a unity event for the former rivals. Despite these efforts, Stevens remained unsatisfied, and her endorsement ultimately went against El-Sayed.

The split between Stevens and El-Sayed stemmed from disagreements over Israel, with Stevens believing El-Sayed had not sufficiently denounced an antisemitic advertisement by a PAC supporting El-Sayed. This personal feud and the controversy surrounding it led Democrats to hope that it would not have a significant impact on voters, as it was more a personal issue than a reflection of a broader shift within the electorate.

However, the swift and vehement denouncement from Democrats, including their staff and party officials, suggests that the incident may have exposed genuine fissures within the party.