What Haley Stevens Said About Mike Rogers Before Endorsement - Newsweek
Just 48 hours before the midterm elections, Haley Stevens withdrew her support for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in a last-minute video message posted to X.
But Stevens’ change of heart marks a sharp departure from her previous stance on Rogers, someone she has repeatedly attacked for his alignment with Trump and his positions on tariffs, abortion and health care.
Newsweek reached out to Haley Stevens via email for comment and is awaiting a response.
The endorsement switch followed a renewed dispute between Stevens and El-Sayed in the closing days of the campaign. Stevens had called on El-Sayed to condemn an outside group’s advertisement that she characterized as antisemitic. El-Sayed said he disagreed with the ad, which was not produced by his campaign, but accused Stevens of relighting their bitter Democratic primary.
In a video shared on November 1, Stevens said that she would now be backing Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race.
"I don't belong in Abdul's campaign. Who we are as Michiganders is not hate and is not what we are getting out from our Democratic nominee right now," she said.
"I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today. I am just one person. I love this state. I’m just letting you know where I am. I’m still a very proud Democrat," Stevens added in the video statement.
But the endorsement was particularly surprising given Stevens’ consistent line of attack against the Republican candidate. One of her most-repeated lines was that a vote for Rogers would be a "rubber stamp" for Donald Trump’s agendas and policies in the Senate, including tariffs and health care policy.
Just three months ago during a Fox interview, she said that Rogers was being "dishonest" with the people of Michigan. Previous posts on social media showed her labeling the Republican "Millionaire Mike Rogers." She called him "out-of-touch" and "out-of-state," claiming that he cannot understand Michigan families and their struggles.
Stevens has also repeatedly attacked Rogers for his links to Florida. In one post, she wrote that Rogers "used the revolving door to explode his wealth, then bought a Florida mansion with it."
Stevens has also repeatedly linked him to Trump’s economic record. She said that the president’s tariffs have increased costs for families in Michigan and hurt the state’s manufacturing industry. She has also accused Rogers of failing Michigan autoworkers and the middle class, in one post describing him as "anti-worker."
Her criticism extended beyond the economy. Stevens also attacked Rogers over abortion, health care and elections, accusing him of supporting "extreme abortion bans" and Republican efforts to restrict Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
In one particularly blunt post, Stevens described Rogers as "corrupt," a "Trump crony," and "anti-choice."
Stevens’ decision to switch her alliance at the last moment sparked criticism from several Democrats. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X: "Working class people’s lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills. Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against."
The fallout extended to Stevens' own office. Her longtime chief of staff, Justin German, was among numerous staffers who resigned following the endorsement. German said the team was "shocked and heartbroken" by Stevens' decision and urged voters to support El-Sayed.
But El-Sayed said he was not worried about Stevens' comments and that he was instead focusing on the rest of the people in Michigan.
"At the end of the day, I don't think about Haley Stevens," El-Sayed told reporters on Sunday. "None of this matters."
On the Republican side, Rogers welcomed the endorsement, saying that her statement showed "courage." President Donald Trump called her "very brave." He added: "I don't know Haley. I've never met Haley. But Haley said what few people were willing to say. I'd love her to join the Republican Party actually."
Michigan remains a key seat in the Democrats' bid to win control of the Senate. To flip control, Democrats need to retain all their current seats, including the open Michigan seat, and flip at least four others.
On Sunday, the final poll before Election Day from The New York Times/Siena College was released. 'It gave El-Sayed an 11-point lead over Rogers, 53 percent to 42 percent.
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