Stevens on el Sayed split: ‘This is a broader point about what’s going on in our party’

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) defended her decision to endorse Republican Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers on Sunday night, saying Democratic candidate Abdul el Sayed has been “getting angrier and angrier” and recent campaign advertisements motivated her decision.“There are so many Democrats who want to vote for our Democratic nominee, and they’re just being told, ‘Hey, this is a party you don’t belong in, or, ‘This is a campaign you don’t belong in,'” Stevens said during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “That’s just where I landed on this. I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh, and, you know, focused on what was in my heart. And, that’s that.” Recommended Stories Cooper pressed Stevens for an explanation as to why she chose to flip her endorsement just days before the midterm elections, and asked her about a phone call she had with Rep. Debbie Dingle (D-MI) on Saturday night, during which the centrist Democrat said she would be attending a church event with el Sayed Sunday morning. Stevens instead opted to attend a different church service with Rogers, where the pair hosted a press conference.Steven’s last-minute decision promises to shake up a race that is widely viewed as crucial to Republicans’ hopes of retaining control of the upper chamber.Her split with the more progressive el Sayed also furthers a core tension present within the Democratic Party ahead of Tuesday’s elections, as many centrist figures expressed frustration over the summer with the party’s broad acceptance of socialist figures such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani into its ranks.Stevens lost to el Sayed in a primary contest that also focused on el Sayed’s progressive stances. “This is about Abdul,” Stevens said Sunday.“This is a weight off my shoulders. I’m being straight with everybody. You know, I’m trying to help the Democratic Party. I felt the same way with [former Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham] Platner and his Nazi tattoo… I’m just one person here.”MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY AFTER HALEY STEVENS ENDORSES MIKE ROGERS AND GETS KICKED OUT OF PARTY“Anderson, I was just trying to help this campaign and stand up for people who feel hurt,” she also said during the testy exchange. “I am not the only one in this position. I am just casting my vote.”Stevens also referenced internet personality Hasan Piker, saying she “doesn’t like” el Sayed’s decision to campaign with him. “Voting is binary… and people are also making their choices.”