Stevens, whom El-Sayed narrowly defeated in the August primary, announced her support after attending a service with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit. Rogers is backed by President Donald Trump in the tightly contested Senate race.
“Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away,” Stevens said video announcing the endorsement. “And he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”
Stevens’ longtime chief of staff resigned following her church appearance, and additional staff members are expected to leave, according to a person familiar with the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity.
El-Sayed sought to minimize the endorsement, telling reporters, “None of this matters.”
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic minority leader, called Stevens’ decision a “despicable betrayal.” President Trump, meanwhile, wrote on Truth Social that Stevens had demonstrated “bravery” and “almost unprecedented loyalty to the Great People of Michigan.”
The dispute between Stevens and El-Sayed included her demand that he explicitly condemn a Rebellion PAC anti-Israel video before she appeared alongside him at a Democratic unity event. She also sought an apology for his previous rhetoric concerning Israel and asked his campaign to remove a clip featuring Tucker Carlson.
El-Sayed did not directly condemn the advertisement, instead accusing Stevens of attempting to “relitigate a primary that ended three months ago.” By Saturday, his campaign had asked Stevens not to attend its remaining events, CBS News reported.
Rogers welcomed Stevens’ endorsement and raised concerns about antisemitic harassment of Jewish students.
“This is more a statement about standing together against hate and the future of this state and this country than it is anything else,” Rogers said.
Stevens maintained that the endorsement did not amount to abandoning Democrats.
“I’m not trying to sway any election,” she said. “But this is about Michigan and just one vote that I am taking.”
