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Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., was inside Detroit’s Perfecting Church on Sunday, standing next to Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers during a service, confirmed — an unusual scene in a Senate race roiled by Democratic infighting.
The appearance came after Stevens was disinvited from a planned church event with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, the man who narrowly defeated her in Michigan’s August Democratic primary.
The reversal left Stevens at the same church as Rogers, El-Sayed’s Republican opponent.
HALEY STEVENS RIPPED BY FELLOW DEMS FOR REFUSING TO EXPLICITLY BACK EL-SAYED: ‘STAY THE F— OFF TELEVISION’
Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens appears alongside GOP rival Mike Rogers at Detroit church on Nov. 1, 2026. (Courtesy of Rogers for Senate)
Stevens has pressed El-Sayed to condemn an outside group’s ad linking U.S. support for Israel to higher grocery prices, which she called antisemitic.
El-Sayed said the ad was not produced by his campaign and that he disagreed with its contents.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., who helped organize the planned appearance, said Stevens was asked to skip it after the dispute became a distraction and upset the church’s bishop.
FORMER RIVAL DODGES FULL-THROATED EL-SAYED ENDORSEMENT AFTER BITTER SENATE PRIMARY
Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan, right, and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed are facing off in the August 4, 2026 Democratic Senate primary in the Great Lakes battleground state. (Evan Cobb for The Washington Post via Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
El-Sayed’s campaign also asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining events.
Stevens fiancé, Jason Turkish, has previously endorsed Rogers and appeared at a Rogers campaign event, saying he could not support El-Sayed because of his positions on Israel.
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Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan Abdul El-Sayed has faced criticism over his stance on Israel, but some Jewish leaders think members of their community should put aside their differences and vote for him. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
The dispute has put a spotlight on Democratic divisions in a close Senate race that could help determine control of the chamber.
