Michigan Senate Race Tensions Rise as Rep. Stevens Criticizes El-Sayed Over Israel-Related Ads
Rep. Haley Stevens has publicly rebuked Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for not condemning a PAC ad linking Israel to Michigan’s grocery prices, intensifying a split among Jewish voters ahead of the midterm election.
A public dispute between Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens is deepening divisions among Jewish voters in the state as the midterm elections approach. Stevens, who lost the Democratic nomination to El-Sayed earlier this year, had planned to appear with him at a Sunday rally but instead launched a series of criticisms.
In interviews with The New York Times, Stevens said she expected El-Sayed to denounce a Rebellion PAC advertisement that blamed Israel for rising grocery costs. “We are not going to say that the cost of groceries is because of Jews and the Jewish state,” she told the paper, adding, “Maybe it is what you want people to believe.”
El-Sayed responded that Stevens was “relitigating a primary that ended three months ago” and claimed he had already defeated outside spending from corporations and AIPAC on Stevens’ behalf. He did not address the specific ad, nor a separate campaign ad featuring far-right commentator Tucker Carlson that Stevens had asked to be removed.
The feud comes as the Democratic establishment largely backs El-Sayed, while concerns persist among traditionally Democratic Jewish voters. Stevens’ fiancé, Jewish donor Jason Turkish, has announced he will vote for Republican nominee Mike Rogers. Stevens said she met with a rabbi before her wedding and is considering converting to Judaism.
El-Sayed also condemned remarks by streamer Hasan Piker, who compared the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield to a “KKK neighborhood,” calling the comparison “utterly inappropriate and flat-out wrong.”
Republicans have highlighted the intra-party conflict. Mike Rogers has sought to attract Jewish voters who supported Stevens in the primary, and President Donald Trump recently described Jews who back El-Sayed as “crazy,” a comment that drew criticism from some Jewish leaders.