Michigan Senate race features Democrats feuding over Israel, PAC ad, and campaign alliances
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Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens sparred on Friday, with Stevens pressing for an apology over El-Sayed’s comments on Israel and condemning a PAC ad she said was antisemitic.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens publicly clashed on Friday ahead of a joint campaign appearance scheduled for Sunday. The confrontation highlighted how far the Democratic primary has drifted into divisive rhetoric, as Stevens accused El-Sayed, a vocal critic of U.S. aid to Israel, of blaming Israel for Michigan’s fiscal challenges and demanded he apologize for those remarks.
"Abdul promises to get money out of politics. He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford," Stevens said in a statement.
Stevens also urged El-Sayed to denounce a video ad produced by the Rebellion political action committee, which she described as antisemitic. The ad features a couple discussing the cost of “killing Palestinians” and criticizes U.S. military support for Israel. El-Sayed’s campaign responded that it had no connection to the ad and that only he and his campaign speak for him.
"No one speaks for Abdul but himself and his campaign," the campaign said.
In addition, Stevens called on El-Sayed to remove his own advertisement that includes far-left critics' favorite far-right podcaster and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The two candidates have not frequently appeared together, though Stevens said she would share a stage with El-Sayed at a Detroit church event alongside Rep. Jim Clyburn.
The dispute comes as Republican nominee Mike Rogers seeks to attract centrist Democratic voters in a closely watched Senate race.