El-Sayed asks Stevens not to attend final events in key Michigan race
Arit John
USA Today
October 31, 2026
Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign has asked Rep. Haley Stevens not to attend any of his upcoming campaign events, putting an end to an 11th-hour bid to present a united front between the former primary rivals.
After months of not appearing together, Stevens and El-Sayed were both expected to attend a Nov. 1 church event with South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. But on Oct. 30 Stevens released an extensive statement calling on El-Sayed to condemn as antisemitic an ad from an outside PAC that blames U.S. cost of living issues on aid to Israel. Stevens also said El-Sayed should apologize for his own campaign rhetoric.
“Abdul promises to get money out of politics,” Stevens wrote. “He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to USA TODAY that the El-Sayed campaign has requested Stevens keep her distance. The news was first reported by Politico.
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The back-and-forth comes as El-Sayed seeks to unify his party’s base ahead of an election that could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Part of the effort has involved solidifying his support with Jewish Democrats who disagree with his criticism of Israel. During a recent general election debate, El-Sayed said Iran and Israel both pose a threat to the U.S., with “one at risk of attacking us, one getting us into wars we have no business fighting.”
The recent ad features a young couple in a grocery store discussing whether they can afford groceries because their money goes toward supporting Israel. It ends with images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his allies as the narrator says “Mike Rogers is for they/them.”
The spot was released by Rebellion PAC, a political action committee created by leftwing commentator Cenk Uygur, who first released a version of the ad to support his failed 2024 presidential campaign.
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Some Democrats, like Stevens, have criticized El-Sayed for not condemning the ad as antisemitic. “A disclaimer is not a condemnation, and everyone in my community knows the difference,” she said.
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Questions about Stevens’ support have been brewing for several days. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, told the Detroit News Oct. 28 he plans to vote for El-Sayed’s Republican opponent Mike Rogers. Stevens then told CNN that she plans to vote for El-Sayed; a day later, news broke that she would attend the church event.
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In her statement, Stevens also noted that Uygur is the uncle of Hasan Piker, the controversial Twitch streamer and progressive surrogate with whom El-Sayed campaigned with during the primary but from whom he has since sought to distance himself.
Read more here.
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