Haley Stevens' Jewish Democrat Fiancé Backs Mike Rogers, Deepening a Donor Revolt Against Abdul El-Sayed

The Michigan Senate race has exposed divisions among some Democratic supporters days before the 3 November election, after Jason Turkish, the fiancé of Rep. Haley Stevens, announced that he intends to vote for Republican nominee Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

The endorsements highlight disagreements among some Democratic figures over El-Sayed's criticism of Israel and his approach to antisemitism, potentially complicating efforts to unite the party after a closely contested primary.

Escalating Rhetoric Sparking Security Concerns

Turkish, the grandson of Holocaust refugees and a donor of more than $300,000 (£225,172) to Democrats, stated he waited months for El-Sayed to moderate his stance. Turkish said he had hoped El-Sayed would moderate his rhetoric after the primary but instead believed it had become more confrontational.

'We have never seen a candidate for U.S. Senate act so recklessly toward the safety of Jews in the community as we have seen from Abdul,' Turkish said. He argued that El-Sayed's rhetoric has made Jewish communities feel less safe. 'Every time he talks about genocide, Jews get death threats,' he told The Detroit News.

Citing El-Sayed's refusal during a televised debate to state whether Iran or Israel poses a bigger threat to the U.S., Turkish described his cross-party endorsement as a necessary choice to put 'country before party.'

Turkish has also donated to Republican candidates, including Maine Senator Susan Collins, according to federal records. However, he said he did not vote for Rogers in 2024 and continues to support other Democrats on the ballot in this year's election.

Turkish is not the only Democratic donor backing Rogers. David Kramer, Stevens' former campaign chair, similarly crossed party lines to support Rogers, stating that he believes the Republican candidate is fully committed to keeping Jewish communities safe.

Media Controversies and Polarising Campaigns

Campaign advertisements have also drawn criticism from some Democrats. Turkish specifically pointed to El-Sayed's refusal to condemn an online election advertisement by Rebellion PAC, which blamed high domestic grocery costs, including bananas, on American aid to Israel. El-Sayed's campaign had distanced itself from the advertisement without explicitly condemning its contents, according to Jewish Insider.

Furthermore, mainstream party stalwarts have levelled sharp opposition against an official El-Sayed campaign advertisement that highlights conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.

Turkish accused El-Sayed's campaign of promoting division rather than bringing voters together.

Domestic Fallout and a Household Divided

This high-profile defection has created a literal 'house divided' situation for Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the bitter August Democratic primary to El-Sayed. Stevens subsequently appeared on CNN to navigate the political fallout and reaffirm her support for the broader Democratic ticket. 'Like a lot of households across America, we're a household divided,' Stevens told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins.

While Stevens explicitly stated she still wants El-Sayed to win to regain a Democratic Senate majority, she echoed her fiancé's anxieties. She openly called on El-Sayed to pull down the Tucker Carlson advertisement and explicitly disavow the external Rebellion PAC spot to comfort undecided voters.

El-Sayed's campaign spokeswoman, Roxie Richner, responded that the nominee remains focused on building a broad coalition to win Michigan.