Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., repeatedly sidestepped questions about her support for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a CNN appearance Sunday, declining to explicitly reaffirm her endorsement just over a week before Election Day.
Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in Michigan’s August Democratic primary, was pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash about why she has not campaigned alongside her former opponent despite endorsing him shortly after the primary.
The congresswoman instead pointed to her work helping Democratic House candidates across Michigan, highlighting several competitive congressional contests while steering clear of El-Sayed’s campaign.
Bash then asked whether El-Sayed had done enough to win over Stevens’ former supporters, particularly Black and Jewish voters who backed her during the primary.
Stevens acknowledged that she had encouraged Democratic campaign officials to arrange a speech addressing concerns within Michigan’s Black community, but said the event never materialized.
The congresswoman also noted that Republican nominee Mike Rogers has been actively campaigning in Detroit, an apparent acknowledgment of his efforts to reach voters in the heavily Democratic city.
The interview grew more uncomfortable when Bash directly asked Stevens whether she remained fully behind El-Sayed.
“Look, I’m on the Democratic ticket. I can’t say that I agree with everything that’s gone on,” Stevens responded.
She then criticized the handling of a foreign policy question during El-Sayed’s first debate with Rogers, arguing that the discussion should have focused more heavily on President Donald Trump.
“I don’t want to debate who’s the enemy of the United States. It’s very clear that Iran is,” Stevens said.
During the debate, El-Sayed had been asked whether Iran or Israel represented the greater threat to the United States. He rejected the premise of the question and argued that both countries had demonstrated dangers in different ways.
Stevens subsequently shifted her attention to Michigan Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and congressional candidates she hopes will help Democrats regain control of the House.
Bash quickly pointed out that the congresswoman had once again failed to mention El-Sayed.
“Well, look, I would just say, you had asked me if I’m still on the team. I’m on the team,” Stevens replied.
The exchange marked the latest awkward moment between Stevens and El-Sayed as Democrats attempt to unite behind their nominee in one of the nation’s closely watched Senate contests.
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During a separate CNN interview on October 16, Stevens was similarly questioned about her absence from El-Sayed’s campaign trail.
She again highlighted her work for other Democrats and suggested that El-Sayed’s campaign was operating independently, while declining to directly explain whether she had been asked to campaign with him.
The lingering tension follows a bruising Democratic primary in which Stevens, a more establishment-aligned candidate, faced El-Sayed, a progressive backed by prominent figures on the party’s left.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated super PAC spent heavily supporting Stevens during the primary, which became a major ideological battle over Israel and the future direction of the Democratic Party.
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El-Sayed ultimately secured the nomination and advanced to face Rogers, a former congressman and House Intelligence Committee chairman, in the November 3 general election.
The two candidates are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The latest Marist poll, released October 21, showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by just two percentage points among likely Michigan voters, 50% to 48%. The result fell within the survey’s 4.3-point margin of error.
The survey was conducted October 15-18, before the candidates’ final debate and Stevens’ latest CNN appearance.
Stevens has not withdrawn her endorsement of El-Sayed. However, her repeated reluctance to campaign alongside him or directly reaffirm her support has drawn attention in the closing stretch of the race.
With Election Day approaching, the congresswoman’s Sunday interview offered another public glimpse of the disagreements that have persisted since Michigan Democrats selected their Senate nominee.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
