Michigan Senate Race: El-Sayed Campaign Requests Stevens Stay Away From Final Events

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign is asking Representative Haley Stevens to skip remaining campaign events in the final days of the Michigan Senate race. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the request to reporters on Friday, signaling a strain in the relationship between the two Democrats. The move follows a statement El-Sayed released the same day, in which he criticized Stevens for relitigating a primary that concluded in August.

The friction stems from a social media post Stevens shared earlier on Friday. In the post, she outlined her reasons for agreeing to appear with El-Sayed and retired Representative Jim Clyburn on Sunday. She described Clyburn as a mentor and friend but offered a brief mention of El-Sayed, noting that the Senate nominee would also join them. Stevens argued that El-Sayed must apologize for linking Israel to high costs in Michigan. She referenced a controversial advertisement by Rebellion PAC that depicted a couple struggling to afford groceries after discussing taxpayer spending on Israel.

Stevens stated that if El-Sayed’s own words are wrong when a PAC supporting him says them, then his statements are equally wrong. She demanded an apology for those remarks. Additionally, she called for the removal of a campaign ad featuring conservative commentators, including Tucker Carlson. Carlson appeared in the ad stating he would not vote for Republican challenger Mike Rogers. Stevens, who labeled Carlson a white Christian nationalist, urged El-Sayed to take down the spot out of respect for the Black community.

El-Sayed’s campaign responded by saying he is not affiliated with the Rebellion PAC that created the grocery store ad. In his statement, El-Sayed pointed to the $70 million in outside spending that supported Stevens during the primary. He argued that the focus should be on defeating Trump’s hand-picked candidate, taking back the Senate, and defending democracy. He described Stevens’ actions as an intent to look back on divisions rather than focus on the task at hand.

The Sunday event had been seen as a symbol of unity in a high-profile race. The pair had not been seen together since early August. The joint appearance was arranged after Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, told the Detroit News on Wednesday that he had never seen a candidate act so recklessly toward the safety of Jews. Turkish said he would vote for the Republican candidate, Mike Rogers. Stevens later reiterated her support for El-Sayed in a CNN interview.

On Friday, Turkish told TMZ that Stevens would attend the event because Clyburn asked her to. However, he said her support for El-Sayed could wane if no apology is offered for the advertisements. He compared El-Sayed’s approach to that of Hasan Piker, the nephew of Rebellion PAC founder Cenk Uygur, regarding party unity. Some Democratic allies believe Stevens’ influence on the electorate is limited. State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who also ran in the primary, told CNN she has no idea what Stevens is doing. Another Democrat who backed Stevens said she is not that important to the final vote count.