Abdul El-Sayed and his former Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens, have revived their intra-party dispute just four days before a pivotal Senate election in the swing state of Michigan.
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who previously campaigned alongside controversial streamer Hasan Piker, narrowly defeated the more moderate Stevens in August, surprising many observers.
Now running against Republican Mike Rogers, El-Sayed is once again locked in a dispute with Stevens as Democrats prepare for a high-stakes contest in a purple state that Donald Trump won two years ago.
The tensions returned to the spotlight Wednesday when Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, told The Detroit News that he planned to vote for Rogers.
Later that day, Stevens appeared on CNN and confirmed that she would support El-Sayed, while urging his campaign to “shut out the hate and call it out.”
She said El-Sayed must also reach out to voters who supported her during the primary and “make them feel comfortable about coming to the polls.”
The two Democrats appeared to patch things up Thursday, scheduling a Sunday campaign event in Detroit alongside South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, an influential Democrat widely credited with helping Joe Biden secure victory in the 2020 primary.
However, Stevens issued a lengthy social media statement Friday criticizing her former opponent. She called on El-Sayed to denounce an advertisement tying US support for Israel to rising grocery costs and to address concerns about his previous rhetoric.
Abdul El-Sayed, pictured, and former Democratic primary rival Haley Stevens have reignited their intra-party dispute just four days before a pivotal Senate election in swing-state Michigan
The dispute resurfaced Wednesday after Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, pictured left, told The Detroit News that he would vote for Republican Mike Rogers; Stevens is pictured right
The advertisement, produced by left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur, Piker’s uncle, features startling exchanges in a grocery store. In one scene, a woman tells a man she cannot afford eggs because her money had to be spent “killing Palestinians.”
El-Sayed’s campaign has emphasized that it neither created nor endorsed the advertisement, saying it “has always been focused on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing.”
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote in her lengthy statement early Friday.
“He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
El-Sayed has apologized for some of his past remarks as he seeks to bring Democrats together ahead of the election.
In a statement Friday, however, El-Sayed highlighted his primary victory over Stevens and said that while she “seems intent on relitigating a primary… let’s all focus on the task at hand: beating Mike Rogers.”
A source within El-Sayed’s campaign is now asking Stevens not to attend future campaign events, saying her presence could “distract from the central issues of the campaign,” according to Politico.
Mallory McMorrow, who also sought the nomination before withdrawing and endorsing El-Sayed, reacted sharply. “I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing. This is a moment where we have to recognize the stakes,” she said.
Stevens’ lengthy Friday statement criticized her former rival and called on him to denounce an advertisement linking US support for Israel to higher grocery prices while addressing concerns about his past rhetoric
“Every Democrat was singing the same tune but now, because one person is tone deaf, the whole choir is thrown off,” said a source not affiliated with El-Sayed’s campaign.
Rogers – who has been working to court Jewish Democratic voters – later applauded Stevens, calling her ‘a courageous leader who deserves the respect of every Michigan voter.’
He said Stevens was ‘absolutely right to call’ on El-Sayed to denounce the ad. ‘It is as shameful as it is disappointing that his response to her clearly shows that he does not care about those concerns,’ Rogers wrote on X.
President Donald Trump was much more blunt in a statement at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida Friday.
‘If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you’re not smart,’ he said.
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The RealClearPolitics polling averages currently shows El-Sayed leading Rogers by five points.
Michigan hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1994, but Donald Trump won the state in 2016 and 2024.
Republicans face political challenges of their own, particularly voter dissatisfaction with Trump, the Iran war and high costs.
El-Sayed is facing off with former Congressman Mike Rogers (pictured) for the open Michigan Senate seat
Rogers has remained closely aligned with the president on most issues, appearing alongside him at a Michigan rally Sunday where he credited Trump with bringing manufacturing jobs back to the state.
The rally took place in Port Huron, just across the river from Canada, a country with deep economic ties to Michigan that Trump has targeted with tariffs.
El-Sayed has held campaign events in heavily Republican areas, including Michigan´s Upper Peninsula.
His team also released an ad featuring clips of prominent conservative figures praising him, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has faced accusations of antisemitism that he denies.
But the ad created another source of friction with some Jewish voters.
Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the Rebellion PAC ad and El-Sayed´s campaign ad during a call with reporters.
‘We are one week away from the election, and it feels like the temperature has turned way up,’ Starr said.
‘Instead of things getting better over the last seven weeks, they´ve actually gotten worse.’
President Donald Trump was much more blunt about El-Sayed in a statement at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida Friday. ‘If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you’re not smart,’ he said
Trump has repeatedly attacked El-Sayed´s Muslim faith, calling him a ‘jihadist’ and saying Sunday that he was ‘on the side of terrorists.’
Both candidates are trying to win over Black voters, particularly in Detroit’s Wayne County, where Stevens defeated El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.
El-Sayed’s event with Clyburn is part of an effort to shore up support among Black voters.
Much of El-Sayed’s final campaign stretch has included appearances in Detroit.
Rogers has also sought to make inroads with Black voters. He visited a reading remediation program at a Detroit high school and discussed housing costs with residents in Pontiac, north of the city.
Earlier this month, his wife handed out $10 gift cards at a gas station.
El-Sayed and Stevens last appeared together on Aug. 6, two days after the primary. Stevens pledged to support El-Sayed, telling CBS News she would do ‘whatever he wants me to do’ on the campaign trail.
But divisions from the contentious primary have persisted. Nearly $60 million was spent on advertising attacking El-Sayed, including $30 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
Stevens is a staunch supporter of Israel who represents a district with a large Jewish community in Detroit´s suburbs.
The church visit on Sunday is intended to further that elusive unity, although its impact is uncertain, given that it comes just two days before the election.
Michigan early voting started Octobert 24.