What Haley Stevens Said About Mike Rogers Before Endorsement

Just 48 hours before the midterm elections, Haley Stevens withdrew her backing for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in a final video message on X. Stevens' sudden switch marks a stark contrast to her previous criticism of Rogers, who she had repeatedly targeted for his ties to Trump and his stances on tariffs, abortion, and healthcare.

Newsweek reached out to Stevens for comment and is waiting for a response. The endorsement alteration came after a final disagreement between Stevens and El-Sayed in the campaign's closing days. Stevens had urged El-Sayed to denounce an outside group's advertisement which she deemed antisemitic. El-Sayed disagreed with the ad, but accused Stevens of reigniting their contentious Democratic primary.

Stevens announced on November 1 that she would support Mike Rogers in the Senate race. "I don't belong in Abdul's campaign. Who we are as Michiganders is not hate and is not what we are getting from our Democratic nominee right now," she said in the video. "I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today. I am just one person.

I love this state. I’m just letting you know where I am. I’m still a very proud Democrat." However, the endorsement was particularly surprising given Stevens' consistent attacks against the Republican candidate. One of her most common lines was that voting for Rogers would be a "rubber stamp" for Donald Trump's policies, including tariffs and healthcare.

Just three months prior, she said Rogers was "dishonest" with Michigan residents. Her social media posts labeled him "out-of-touch" and "out-of-state," claiming he couldn't understand Michigan families' struggles. Stevens also frequently criticized Rogers for his connections to Florida, stating he "used the revolving door to explode his wealth, then bought a Florida mansion with it."

She linked him to Trump's economic record, accusing him of increasing costs for Michigan families and hurting the state's manufacturing industry. Stevens accused him of failing Michigan autoworkers and the middle class, describing him as "anti-worker." Beyond the economy, she also criticized Rogers over abortion, health care, and elections, calling him a "corrupt, Trump crony, and anti-choice."

Stevens' decision to switch alliances at the last moment drew criticism from several Democrats. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated on X: "Working class people's lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills. Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against."

The fallout extended to Stevens' own office, with many staffers resigning following the endorsement. However, El-Sayed remained unfazed by Stevens' comments, focusing instead on the rest of Michigan. For the Republicans, Rogers welcomed the endorsement, describing it as "courageous." President Trump called her "very brave" and said he wished she'd join the Republican Party.

Michigan is a crucial state in Democrats' bid to regain control of the Senate, as they need to retain all their current seats and flip at least four others. The final poll before Election Day from The New York Times/Siena College gave El-Sayed an 11-point lead over Rogers, 53% to 42%.