Representative Haley Stevens confirmed she will join Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed for a Detroit church appearance brokered by Representative James Clyburn, despite escalating party rifts ahead of the November 2026 election. Stevens demanded El-Sayed apologize for past statements linking state expenses to Israel and asked him to condemn an outside grocery ad blaming Israel for inflation. El-Sayed accused Stevens of relitigating their August primary as pollsters rate the contest against Republican Mike Rogers as highly competitive.
Detroit joint campaign appearance
- ▪Representative Haley Stevens confirmed she accepted an invitation from Representative James Clyburn to appear with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at a Detroit church service on November 1, 2026.
- ▪Representative Debbie Dingell stated that she helped broker the November 1, 2026 Detroit campaign appearance featuring Representative James Clyburn, Representative Haley Stevens, and Abdul El-Sayed.
Criticism of El-Sayed's rhetoric on Israel
- ▪Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described Abdul El-Sayed's past comments regarding Israel as concerning during an October 2026 podcast interview.
- ▪Representative Haley Stevens called on Abdul El-Sayed to apologize for saying that Israel is why Michigan cannot afford schools, healthcare, and child care, and to stop attributing state costs to Israel.
- ▪Representative Haley Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, announced he will vote for Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the 2026 Michigan Senate race due to Abdul El-Sayed's rhetoric on Israel.
Dispute over Rebellion PAC advertisement
- ▪Abdul El-Sayed's campaign stated that it was not affiliated in any way with the Rebellion PAC digital advertisement regarding U.S. aid to Israel.
- ▪Representative Haley Stevens called on Abdul El-Sayed to denounce a digital grocery ad from Rebellion PAC that attributes high U.S. grocery prices to financial support for Israel.
Primary election outcome and spending
- ▪Abdul El-Sayed defeated Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's August 2026 Democratic Senate primary despite pro-Israel group AIPAC spending millions of dollars on behalf of Stevens.
- ▪Abdul El-Sayed stated that his Senate campaign defeated $70 million in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC on behalf of Representative Haley Stevens.
Forecasts for Michigan Senate race
- ▪Nonpartisan forecaster Decision Desk HQ gave Abdul El-Sayed a 73 percent chance to retain the Michigan Senate seat for the Democratic Party.
- ▪The Cook Political Report rates the 2026 Michigan Senate election between Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Republican nominee Mike Rogers as a toss-up.
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