Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens defends rare GOP pick after El-Sayed win

Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan issued a detailed defense of her decision to back Republican challenger Mike Rogers on Wednesday. She made the remarks after her primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, secured the state’s Senate seat in the midterm election. The move had split her party, with El-Sayed defeating Rogers by a margin of roughly seven percentage points.

Stevens addressed the political fallout in a lengthy post on the social platform X. She stated that her political judgment was never determined by who would win at the ballot box. She acknowledged that the choice carried personal and professional weight, noting that she was truly sorry for upsetting colleagues and friends. Stevens maintained that she did not regret the endorsement, describing it as an outlier act that aligned with a lifetime of her beliefs.

The congresswoman cited her stance on Israel as a central factor in her decision. She described the nation as an imperfect U.S. ally that requires internal political reform. Stevens referenced her role as co-chair of the House caucus on antisemitism, calling the endorsement of Rogers a difficult fit because he had previously appeared with Hasan Piker. She argued that El-Sayed’s position on the issue had deteriorated, saying he got worse rather than moderate as she had hoped.

Stevens characterized her original support for El-Sayed as highly unusual among Democrats. She framed her decision as a choice to prioritize truth over political convenience. The representative emphasized that she was elected to perform a specific job and intended to finish it. She asserted that the Democratic Party should remain broad enough to accommodate multiple viewpoints and pledged to continue fighting antisemitism in both parties.

The endorsement, made just two days before the general election, resulted in the resignation of several staff members. Stevens defended the choice in a Sunday night interview on CNN, a segment that fellow Democrat Debbie Dingell described as one of the most painful she had ever watched. Stevens told NewsNation on Tuesday that the decision was absolutely worth it. She concluded her post by congratulating the winners and urging continued dialogue on building tolerance among those with differing views.