Abdul El-Sayed at a Michigan campaign meet-and-greet in October 2025. Photo: Conlan Houston / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In 60 seconds: Abdul El-Sayed's campaign has asked former primary rival Haley Stevens to stay away from his final campaign events, killing a planned joint appearance in Detroit today. The split follows Stevens' demand that El-Sayed condemn an outside group's ad she called antisemitic — with Election Day just two days away.
- El-Sayed's campaign asked Stevens not to attend any of his upcoming events, ending plans for a joint Detroit church appearance today.
- The feud centers on a Rebellion PAC ad linking grocery prices to US aid for Israel, which Stevens called antisemitic.
- El-Sayed's campaign says the ad is "not affiliated in any way" with him; he accused Stevens of relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.
- Even Stevens' own household is split: her fiancé says he will vote for Republican Mike Rogers; she says she will vote for El-Sayed.
- Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and Michigan is seen as their strongest pickup opportunity on Tuesday.
Here's the thing: unity events are supposed to be the easy part of a campaign's final weekend. You show up, you smile, you let voters see the party standing together. Michigan Democrats couldn't even manage that — and now their Senate nominee heads into the final two days having publicly told his former rival to stay away.
What happened
El-Sayed and Stevens were both expected to appear today, Sunday, November 1, at a Detroit church event alongside South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn. Representative Debbie Dingell, who helped arrange it, talked it up on Meet the Press NOW on October 30.
That same day, the plan fell apart. Stevens released a lengthy statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn an ad from Rebellion PAC, an outside group founded by left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur, and to apologize for his own rhetoric. Politico first reported that El-Sayed's campaign had responded by asking Stevens to keep her distance, and USA TODAY confirmed it via an anonymous source. The two have barely campaigned together since El-Sayed narrowly beat Stevens in the August primary.
Latest verified facts
The ad at the center of the fight shows a young couple in a grocery store wondering whether they can afford their food because their money goes toward supporting Israel. It ends with images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies as the narrator says, "Mike Rogers is for they/them."
Stevens did not mince words. "Abdul promises to get money out of politics," she wrote. "He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford." She dismissed the campaign's earlier distancing from the ad — "A disclaimer is not a condemnation, and everyone in my community knows the difference" — and objected to El-Sayed's suggestion that Israel is the reason Michigan cannot afford schools, health care, and child care.
El-Sayed's campaign answered that the ad "is not affiliated in any way" with the campaign, adding, "No one speaks for Abdul but himself and his campaign." El-Sayed said Stevens seemed "intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago" instead of focusing on defeating Rogers, and noted his campaign had beaten tens of millions in outside spending for Stevens. State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who dropped out of the primary herself, said on CNN's "The Arena" on October 30: "I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing. This is a moment where we have to recognize the stakes."
Then there's the personal twist. Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, told the Detroit News on October 28 that he plans to vote for Rogers. Stevens told CNN she plans to vote for El-Sayed, describing them as a "household divided." On Saturday, El-Sayed and Rogers campaigned about four miles apart in Macomb County.
Rep. Haley Stevens, the former primary rival El-Sayed's campaign asked to stay away from his final events. Photo: US House of Representatives (public domain).
Why it matters
Look at the math and you'll see why this feud has Democrats nervous. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats need to flip at least four seats while holding every seat they already have, and Michigan is widely viewed as the Republicans' strongest pickup opportunity this cycle. A public split between the nominee and his most prominent primary rival, two days before voting, is the last thing a campaign in that position wants.
The disagreement also isn't really about one ad. It's about the argument running through the Democratic Party: how to talk about Israel, how to talk about the cost of living, and whether those belong in the same sentence. El-Sayed, a progressive former Detroit and Wayne County health official, and Stevens, a more moderate Democrat, fought the primary on exactly that terrain — and the argument clearly didn't end in August.
Impact on the USA and the world
Tuesday's election will decide all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats, and with them control of Congress for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump's term. Michigan is one of the contests that could decide that control, which is why a Democratic feud there draws national attention far beyond the state's borders.
The race is also a test of whether a party can hold together critics and defenders of US aid to Israel while keeping the focus on voters' top concern — the cost of living. How Michigan votes on Tuesday will be read by both parties as a signal for 2028.
What happens next
Our take: the next 48 hours will tell us whether this feud moves votes or just dominates headlines. Both El-Sayed and Rogers are featured on this Sunday's "60 Minutes," giving voters one more chance to judge the candidates themselves. And with more than 51 million early ballots already cast, many Michiganders have already made up their minds.
What to watch: whether Stevens appears at any El-Sayed event before Tuesday, and whether Rogers uses the split in his closing pitch. Two days out, Michigan Democrats aren't closing ranks — they're airing the split in public, and Tuesday's voters get the last word.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Mike Rogers?
Mike Rogers is the Republican nominee for Michigan's Senate seat and a former congressman. He faces El-Sayed on Tuesday, November 3.
What is Rebellion PAC?
Rebellion PAC is an outside political action committee founded by left-wing commentator Cenk Uygur. El-Sayed's campaign says the group and its ad are "not affiliated in any way" with the campaign.
Why is the Michigan Senate race so important?
Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats need to flip at least four seats while holding their own, and Michigan is viewed as the Republicans' strongest pickup opportunity.
Are El-Sayed and Stevens still campaigning together?
No. After Stevens' October 30 statement, El-Sayed's campaign asked her to stay away from all of his upcoming events, including the planned November 1 Detroit church appearance.
Sources: USA TODAY; Politico (via USA TODAY); Times Now; CNN; Detroit News; WGHN; TBS News/Reuters.