Michigan Senate Contest Roiled by Cross-party Outreach and Campaign Warnings
WHO:
ABC News - Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat; he is a former Michigan public health official and defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the August primary.
ABC News - Republican candidate Mike Rogers is a former congressman. The seat is held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
ABC News - Stevens, a U.S. representative, and Rogers appeared at a Detroit church after Stevens was left out of a planned joint church appearance with El-Sayed.
ABC News - Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell organized the planned joint appearance with El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Planned church visits also included U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, secretary of state nominee Garlin Gilchrist II, and Michigan bishops.
The Guardian - Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after his primary win. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, campaigned for Rogers and said he would vote for him.
The Guardian - Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said, “I have no idea what the hell Haley Stevens is doing,” and said voters were focused on gas and grocery prices.
WHAT:
ABC News - Stevens and El-Sayed’s public dispute centered on Israel, an outside group’s advertisement, and whether El-Sayed should condemn it. Stevens said, “He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”
ABC News - El-Sayed said the advertisement was not made by his campaign and that he did not agree with its contents. The ad linked U.S. support for Israel to high grocery prices; another outside ad accused him of disrespecting women.
The Guardian - El-Sayed said he did not want “any distractions” and urged focus on defeating Rogers, holding Trump accountable, getting money out of politics, putting money in pockets, and passing Medicare for All.
ABC News - Tens of millions of dollars in outside spending entered the bitter Democratic primary; an affiliated American Israel Public Affairs Committee super PAC backed Stevens.
The Washington Post - A text from “Ben with Empowering Black Americans” asked Black voters whether they supported El-Sayed and accused him of being “disrespectful and dishonest with Black voters.”
WHERE:
ABC News - The planned joint appearance and Stevens-Rogers appearance were at a church in Detroit. Detroit is in Wayne County; neighboring Oakland County was also significant in the primary.
The Washington Post - Alisha Jackson received the text while canvassing a majority-Black neighborhood in Detroit.
WHEN:
ABC News - El-Sayed defeated Stevens in the August primary; Stevens won Wayne and Oakland counties. The article says the primary had ended three months earlier.
ABC News - Early voting had been underway since Oct. 24. Articles describe the church event as planned for Sunday and the election as Tuesday; no years are specified for these dates.
WHY:
ABC News - Dingell said she withdrew Stevens from the joint appearance because it had become “way too distracting” and the bishop was upset because it was a church service.
ABC News - Democrats sought to unify behind El-Sayed and increase turnout among Black and Jewish voters, particularly in Detroit, where roughly three-quarters of residents are Black.
The Guardian - Democrats viewed the close Senate race as crucial to winning back control of the Senate.
HOW:
ABC News - Dingell said she asked Stevens not to attend the planned event, and Stevens agreed. El-Sayed continued with church visits alongside Clyburn and other Democrats.
The Guardian - Stevens demanded El-Sayed denounce the outside advertisement; El-Sayed responded that she was relitigating the primary and said attention should remain on the campaign against Rogers.
(UPDATED November 1, 2026 17:56 UTC)
Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee, is facing Republican Mike Rogers in a close race. A dispute over an outside advertisement linking Israel to grocery prices widened tensions with Democrat Haley Stevens. Democrats are working to unify voters behind El-Sayed and defeat Rogers in the crucial Senate contest.