Haley Stevens appears with GOP rival Mike Rogers at Detroit church

Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democrat, stood next to Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers during a Sunday service at Detroit's Perfecting Church, Fox News confirmed. The appearance, in a Senate race already marked by Democratic infighting, placed Stevens at the same church as the Republican opponent of Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, the man who narrowly defeated her in the August Democratic primary.

The scene followed a reversal in plans. Stevens had been set to appear at a church event with El-Sayed, but she was later disinvited. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., who helped organize the planned appearance, said Stevens was asked to skip it because the dispute over the race had become a distraction and had upset the church's bishop. El-Sayed's campaign also asked Stevens to stay away from its remaining events, leaving her at the same church as Rogers when the service took place.

The tension traces back to Stevens's refusal to explicitly back El-Sayed. She has pressed him to condemn an outside group's advertisement that linked U.S. support for Israel to higher grocery prices, which she described as antisemitic. El-Sayed said his campaign did not produce the ad and that he disagreed with its contents. Earlier coverage of the primary aftermath noted that Stevens had not offered the full-throated endorsement of El-Sayed that party figures had sought after a bitter contest.

Stevens's fiance, Jason Turkish, has previously endorsed Rogers and appeared at a Rogers campaign event, saying he could not support El-Sayed because of the Democrat's positions on Israel. Those personal ties have added another layer to the public debate over where Stevens stands, even as she has not formally aligned her campaign with Rogers.

Other outlets covering the episode described Stevens's public show of support for Rogers, who is backed by President Donald Trump, as a notable break from Democratic unity in a close race. Coverage also characterized the disinvitation as a sign of how the August primary has left the party's internal rifts exposed just as the general election nears.

The dispute has put a spotlight on Democratic divisions in a Senate contest that could help determine control of the chamber. With the race tightly contested and both sides competing for voters across Michigan, the church appearance has become a focal point for questions about whether Democrats can present a unified front ahead of November.

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Derek Weston

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Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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