Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens backs Republican Mike Rogers, triggering outrage over her fiancé’s shadowy sway
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Rep. Haley Stevens abandoned Democratic primary winner Abdul El-Sayed and endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate, prompting fierce backlash from Democratic officials and former staffers who accuse her fiancé, lawyer Jason Turkish, of manipulating her decision.
Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan announced on Sunday that she would no longer endorse Democratic primary winner Abdul El-Sayed, instead throwing her support behind Republican nominee Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate. The abrupt reversal, made after Stevens appeared with Rogers and her fiancé Jason Turkish at a Detroit church, set off anger among Democrats who say Turkish has wielded improper influence over Stevens.
"Jason is vaporizing Haley’s future so that he can be a main character in this moment and it is sad to watch her participate in that," wrote former Stevens adviser Caitlin Legacki on X.
Stevens responded on X, insisting she alone made the choice and rejecting the idea that Turkish dictated her move. "My fiancé has his own views. I have mine. I made this decision, and I am proud of it. Do not question my independence simply because you disagree with my conclusion," she wrote.
Turkish, a disability-rights lawyer and managing partner at Nyman Turkish, told CNN that he and Stevens spent "thousands of hours together" and that he did not try to control her campaign. He said he is a lifelong Democrat and argued that his support for Rogers came from a personal disagreement with the Democratic nominee, not partisan allegiance.
Multiple former campaign staffers described Turkish as overbearing and politically clumsy, pointing to episodes in which he sent Stevens mocking social-media messages and tried to shape campaign strategy, including fundraising and debate preparation. One aide said Turkish would "wind her up, and then we’d have to wind her down."
Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary by less than one percentage point, acknowledged that her political future may be limited, noting she is no longer listed on the Michigan Democratic Party website and that colleagues are discussing whether to remove her from the House Democratic caucus.
Turkish, who is legally blind, has donated more than $200,000 to federal campaigns this cycle, backing both Democrats and Republicans. He defended his role, saying he simply expressed his views and never meant to undermine Stevens’ autonomy.
The endorsement has drawn criticism from Democratic figures, including former Rep. Susan Wild and University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who voiced concern about Turkish’s behavior toward staff and friends. Former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard described a dinner where Turkish allegedly pressured Stevens to change her endorsement.
Even amid the uproar, Turkish attended a Republican Jewish Coalition event with Rogers and Sen. Ted Cruz, who called him a "very impressive guy" and noted that he still identifies as a Democrat.
Stevens’ office confirmed that her engagement to Turkish was announced in August, shortly after her primary loss, and that she plans to finish her term in the House while stepping away from future electoral ambitions.