Michigan Democrat's endorsement of Republican ruffles critical Senate race

"I don't belong in Abdul's campaign," Stevens said in avideoposted to social media. Read:Michigan Senate race a test of attacks on Muslim candidate, progressive agendaI am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.pic.twitter.com/p.

QgfSBuhOJ— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI)November 1, 2026Hours later at a political rally in Iowa, Trump invited Stevens to join the Republican Party. He would reach out to her to thank her for the endorsement, which he called "a smart thing to do because El-Sayed would destroy our country.

""I'd love her to join the Republican Party. "President Donald Trump praises Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens after she endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race over her opposition to Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Trump says he's never met Stevens but calls…pic.twitter.com/WId6XuFWHK— Fox News (@Fox.

News)November 1, 2026Thirty-five Senate seats and ​all 435 House of Representatives seats are on the ballot on Tuesday. Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers.

Polls show Democrats are favoured to win a majority of the House and are locked in a ​tight battle for control of the Senate, where the outcome likely will rest with a handful of states, including Michigan and Alaska.

If Democrats take control of the House or ⁠Senate, they could block Trump's legislative agenda for his final two years in office and launch investigations of an administration that has so far faced largely compliant Republican majorities. The White House hasbeen preparingto implement portions of Trump's agenda ​without the aid of Congress, includingits tariff pressureon trading partners.

Michigan rift. Stevens' endorsement of Rogers came on the day she was scheduled to appear with El-Sayed in a show of party unity. But the planned event unravelled after Stevens called ​on El-Sayed to condemn an outside group's ad that she said blames Israel for high grocery prices.

"That ad was very painful," Stevens toldCNNon Sunday night. "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.

"El-Sayed's campaign recentlyasked Stevensto skip his events through Election Day so as "not to distract from the central issues of the campaign," a person familiar with the matter said. Republicans sought to capitalise ​on Stevens' move.

"This is courage in politics in America today," Rogerssaid. "When you see a party, and at least a sliver of the party, veering off into the virulent hate that they have been spewing toward a group of ​people, it gets dangerous.

"I’m honored to earn Congresswoman Stevens’ endorsement and her vote. After Congresswoman Stevens endorsed Abdul El-Sayed, he had every opportunity to welcome her into his campaign. Instead of moving beyond the anger and dismissiveness he showed her in the Primary, he leaned in…pic.twitter.com/lxQFkPMk8z— Mike Rogers (@Mike.

Rogers. ForMI)November 1, 2026Later on Sunday at the Iowa rally, Trump repeated false claims that El-Sayed is a "jihadist", attacks that fit a broader pattern of inflammatory rhetoric from Trump and other Republicans targeting Arab Americans and Muslims.

Trump:I would say Haley Stevens is in danger. She is very brave. El-Sayed is a jihadist.

He is a Muslim Brotherhood guy.pic.twitter.com/1MipOPS7D4— Clash Report (@clashreport)November 1, 2026Read More:Republican ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ attacks on El-Sayed seek to exploit Democratic divisions. Stevens' move did not appear to dent support ‌for El-Sayed. A ⁠New York Times/Sienapollreleased and partly conducted on Sunday showed the Democratic nominee with a 53% to 42% lead over Rogers.

A spokesperson for El-Sayed's campaign said that it raised $1.2 million in the four hours after Stevens endorsed Rogers, making it the campaign's second-best fundraising day since the Democratic primary election in August.

Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign said it raised $2.4 million on Sunday after his former primary opponent, US Representative Haley Stevens, withdrew her endorsement and publicly backed Republican Mike Rogershttps://t.co/BV9UNq. Gha5— Bloomberg (@business)November 2, 2026He declined to directly address Stevens' endorsement on Sunday.

"This race was never about me," El-Sayed toldMS NOW. "It was never even about Mike Rogers. It's certainly not about Haley Stevens.

This race is about the people in the state of Michigan, the people that I've gotten to know in their churches and synagogues, in their basements and their living rooms, talking about what they need and deserve. ""At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens.

"Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in the Michigan Senate race, addressed reporters after Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens' endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.https://t.co/oLEAWcq. FwEpic.twitter.com/FOCT7KBt6x— ABC News (@ABC)November 2, 2026A number of ​Stevens' congressional staffresignedover the endorsement, according to ​reports fromCNNand the.

Hill, while some voters expressed ⁠disdain. "Haley Stevens is a traitor," said Pamela Johnson, 72, after casting her ballot for El-Sayed in Warren, a Detroit suburb. Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens is heckled while appearing alongside Republican Mike Rogers, whom she has endorsed in the Michigan Senate race.

Her endorsement of Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has sparked backlash, with members of her own team resigning in protest.pic.twitter.com/Hk. TipNPpP4— Middle East Eye (@Middle. East.

Eye)November 2, 2026Alaska intervention falters. Also on Sunday, the Trump administration's attempt to intervene in Alaska's Senate race faltered when a federal judge dismissed the US Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to block certification of the results if Republican incumbent Senator Dan S.

Sullivan narrowly ​loses. The Justice Department argued voters may be confused by the presence of a challenger named Daniel Sullivan Jr on the same ballot. The issue has roiled the campaign ​over the last several days after ⁠the.

New York Timesreported that Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign was involved in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr into the race as a spoiler. The senator said on Sunday he would accept the results of Tuesday's election even as the Trump administration presses a criminal investigation into the issue.

But Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, has suggested he may not certify a victory for Peltola, and the incumbent Sullivan declined to say whether he would support efforts to refuse certification. He joined his party colleagues in accusing ⁠the other Sullivan ​of trying to confuse voters with his similar name.

"They got the decoy guy on the ballot," the senator toldCNN's "State of the Union" ​program. "I'm sure I'm going to lose a lot of votes to that trickery. So what I say to Alaskans is, 'Don't let them get away with the tricks.

'"Peltola has denied involvement, and Sullivan Jr has denied coordinating with Peltola's campaign.