Michigan Primary Fallout: Stevens Defends Rogers Pick After El-Sayed Win

Michigan voters sent a clear signal to the state's congressional delegation on Wednesday, electing Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate with 52.52 percent of the vote against Republican Mike Rogers' 45.48 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ. The result landed less than 48 hours after Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan restated her support for Rogers, a move that had already fractured her party's unity in the state.

Stevens had stunned Democratic colleagues by endorsing the Republican candidate just two days before the midterms. The decision triggered immediate backlash, including resignations from members of her own staff. She first defended the choice in a tense interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Sunday night, a performance that fellow Michigan Democrat Rep. Debbie Dingell later described as one of the most painful interviews she had ever watched. On Tuesday, Stevens told NewsNation that her pick was absolutely worth it.

On Wednesday, Stevens published a lengthy post on X to address the aftermath. She stated that her beliefs were never measured by who would win at the ballot box and acknowledged that her decision had consequences. She wrote that she did not regret the endorsement but was truly sorry that it upset colleagues and people she cared about personally.

The congresswoman addressed the role of her support for Israel in the decision. As co-chair of the House caucus on antisemitism, she said endorsing a man who stood with Hasan Piker and his antisemitic bile was always a tough fit. She described Israel as an imperfect U.S. ally in need of political reforms. Stevens noted that she hoped to help Rogers moderate, but said he got worse instead.

Stevens called her original endorsement of El-Sayed highly unusual. She said she regretted the initial pick because it could have spared the country and her family from the recent days of conflict. She described the endorsement as an outlier act and said rescinding it was not. She identified herself as a student of history who chose to stick with what mattered more, which she defined as truth over political convenience.

She said she was elected to finish her job and that she still believed the Democratic party should be big enough for more than one viewpoint. She committed to keeping the fight against antisemitism in both parties for as long as she is in public life. Stevens closed her post by congratulating everyone who won and calling for continued conversation on how to build tolerance from viewpoints and embrace one another, especially when disagreeing.