Democratic leaders weigh response to Rep. Haley Stevens' endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers
Rep. Haley Stevens faces calls from fellow Democrats to be expelled from the House Democratic Caucus after endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, while party leaders postpone a decision until after the midterm elections.
House Democratic leaders have delayed a decision on possible disciplinary action against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., after she publicly endorsed Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race. The endorsement, announced on Nov. 1, came two days before the midterm elections and sparked criticism from several Democratic lawmakers who have called for her removal from the party's House caucus.
Democratic officials, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said the caucus would discuss appropriate steps after the elections. Jeffries told POLITICO that Stevens "made a terrible decision, blindsided everyone and isolated herself from the House Democratic caucus." A senior Democratic aide indicated that House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., is likely to support Jeffries' response.
Stevens, a four-term congresswoman who will leave Congress at the end of the year following a narrow loss in the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has faced additional backlash from Michigan Democrats. State Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel announced on X that Stevens is no longer a member of the Michigan Democratic Party. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., expressed surprise at the endorsement, noting that Stevens had previously assured her she would not support Rogers.
Other members of Congress, such as Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., have also called for Stevens' removal, describing the endorsement as a betrayal of the party. The IfNotNow movement, a progressive organization, issued a statement urging Jeffries to expel Stevens from the caucus and remove her committee assignments.
If expelled, Stevens would lose access to caucus meetings in the Capitol and could face further actions regarding her committee roles, subject to House rules. Attempts to obtain comment from Stevens' office received an automated response indicating her communications director was no longer with the office as of Nov. 1.