Stevens stops short of full-throated support for El-Sayed
Stevens said in a television interview that she is on the Democratic ticket but does not agree with everything El-Sayed has done. Asked whether he had won over voters who supported her in the primary, she said she had urged his campaign to address Black voters directly, adding that a speech she wanted had not taken place.
The former rivals have not campaigned together since their brief appearances at party unity events after the primary, and they have not spoken in recent months. Stevens has focused on House candidates and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson. She is not scheduled to join El-Sayed at any campaign events before Election Day, including an event planned for Oakland County, her political base.
The strained relationship follows a bitter primary marked by disputes over Israel and personal attacks. El-Sayed has campaigned on Medicare-for-all and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. Republican Mike Rogers has appealed to voters who backed Stevens, including Black and Jewish voters, while criticizing El-Sayed’s positions and past remarks. El-Sayed has rejected Rogers’ allegations of ties to extremist groups.
The Michigan race is central to the contest for Senate control. El-Sayed’s campaign said the two campaign teams remain in close communication. Some former Stevens supporters have offered El-Sayed help, while others say they will not vote for either candidate. Oakland County, where Stevens beat El-Sayed by seven points in the primary, could be pivotal; Democratic organizers say they are working to bring party voters together.
Democrats need unity as Stevens withholds full backing for El-Sayed
With control of the Senate at stake, Michigan Democrats need voters who backed Stevens in the primary to unite behind El-Sayed. Yet Stevens said she could not agree with everything he has done, and the former rivals have not appeared together on the campaign trail since brief unity events after the primary.
Stevens said she had pressed El-Sayed’s campaign to speak directly to Black voters and that the speech she sought never happened. Her absence from his campaign events leaves an opening for Rogers to pursue her former supporters, including Black and Jewish voters.
The primary exposed deep disagreements over Israel and the party’s direction. El-Sayed backs a single-payer health plan and ending American military assistance to Israel. Rogers has attacked his positions and past remarks, while El-Sayed has rejected accusations that he has ties to extremist groups. The stakes are heightened by the race’s role in the battle for Senate control.
Some former Stevens supporters say they offered to help El-Sayed and heard nothing back; others say they will not vote for either nominee. Oakland County, where Stevens beat him by seven points, is a crucial test. Democratic organizers say they are working to bring voters together, but the nominee still has work to do to consolidate the party.
Democratic infighting leaves El-Sayed struggling to unite Michigan voters
The Democratic nominee in a pivotal Senate race has not secured a public show of full support from his former rival. Stevens said she is on the Democratic ticket but cannot agree with everything El-Sayed has done, and the two have not campaigned together in recent months.
Stevens also said El-Sayed’s campaign did not follow through on her call for him to give a speech to Black voters. She has instead focused on House candidates and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, leaving Rogers room to appeal to voters who supported her, including Black and Jewish voters.
The feud grew out of a bitter primary that divided Democrats over Israel and the party’s direction. El-Sayed’s platform includes Medicare-for-all and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. Rogers has attacked his positions and past remarks; El-Sayed denies allegations that he has links to extremist groups. A Senate race that Democrats hoped to win now carries weight in the fight for chamber control.
Some Stevens supporters have offered El-Sayed help, while others say they will not vote for either candidate. Oakland County, where Stevens defeated him by seven points, may prove decisive. The party’s coordinated campaign is promoting El-Sayed alongside other Democrats, but the lingering divide underscores the challenge of winning over voters who backed his primary opponent.
Reported by Fox News, CNN, Townhall.
