Michigan Senate Nominee El-Sayed Asks Rival Stevens to Skip His Campaign Events

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s closely contested U.S. Senate race, has asked Rep. Haley Stevens, a fellow Democrat, to stay away from his campaign events, The Guardian reported. The move exposes a public rift between the two former primary rivals just days before an appearance they had planned together.

According to The New York Times, as cited by The Guardian, El-Sayed told reporters after a campaign rally that he does not want distractions. He said other people seem more interested in making the race about things it is not about.

How the rift came to a head

El-Sayed, a progressive, beat the more moderate Stevens in a bitter Democratic primary in August. Stevens endorsed him shortly afterward. The two had been scheduled to appear together Sunday at a church service in Detroit.

That plan unraveled. Rep. Debbie Dingell told CNN she had spoken with Stevens and told her the arrangement was not working. Dingell said the tension between the two had become a distraction and that nothing would be gained by having them in the same place.

The Guardian reported that, despite her endorsement, Stevens had so far avoided appearing publicly with El-Sayed and had criticized him in public for weeks. The outlet also reported that her fiance, Jason Turkish, has campaigned on behalf of Republican candidate Mike Rogers.

The ad that set off the latest exchange

Two days before the planned joint appearance, Stevens demanded that El-Sayed denounce a political ad from an outside group. The ad blamed higher prices on U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza, according to The Guardian.

El-Sayed answered in a written statement. He said Stevens seemed intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago, and he noted that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent heavily to defeat him in that contest. He urged Democrats to focus on beating Rogers, holding Trump accountable, getting money out of politics and passing Medicare for All.

What other Democrats are saying

The open feuding has worried many in the party, which views the Michigan contest as a must-win in its effort to retake control of the Senate, The Guardian reported.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, also a Democrat, told CNN on Friday that she had no idea what Stevens was doing. She said voters are not talking about ads or about Stevens but about the price of gas and groceries, and that Democrats need to recognize the stakes of the moment.

Why it matters for Michigan voters

The dispute puts the focus on party divisions at a point when Democrats say they want attention on everyday costs. McMorrow framed the race around prices, and El-Sayed’s statement spoke of putting money in pockets, while the feud has drawn coverage toward the internal fight instead.

The split also shows how the primary’s bitterness has carried into the general election. A losing candidate’s endorsement can signal that a party is unified behind its nominee. Here, the endorsement has been followed by public criticism, a disagreement over an outside group’s ad and a joint event that Dingell said was not working.

For voters weighing the contest between El-Sayed and Rogers, the episode adds a layer to the campaign beyond the candidates’ positions. El-Sayed’s platform, as he described it in his statement, includes Medicare for All and limiting the role of money in politics. Rogers is the Republican candidate, and Stevens’ fiance has campaigned for him.

What is at stake

Democrats see the seat as central to their path to a Senate majority, according to The Guardian. That makes any sign of disunity in the state more consequential than it might be in a less competitive race.

It was not clear from the reports whether Stevens will appear at any future El-Sayed event, or how the campaign will handle the Sunday service in Detroit now that the joint appearance has fallen through.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian