El-Sayed and Stevens reunite for Detroit campaign event

El-Sayed and Stevens will appear with Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina at a Detroit get-out-the-vote event. It will be their first public appearance together since shortly after the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, which El-Sayed won by a narrow margin. The event comes after weeks of friction over whether Stevens’ supporters would back him in the general election.

Stevens has said she will vote for El-Sayed, even as her fiancé, Jason Turkish, said he plans to vote for Republican Mike Rogers. On October 28, she urged El-Sayed’s campaign to confront hate and make people from her coalition feel welcome at the polls.

Disagreements have included El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel and an ad from the independent group Rebellion PAC that connected U.S. support for Israel with grocery costs. El-Sayed said the ad was unrelated to his campaign; Stevens and other Democrats called for a stronger denunciation. During the primary, ads targeting El-Sayed accounted for nearly $60 million in spending, including $30 million from AIPAC.

The joint appearance is intended to strengthen Democratic unity and turnout, including among Black voters. Stevens has said Black and Jewish voters supported her in the primary and that she wants them to vote for Democrats. The event comes only two days before the election; early voting in Michigan began Oct. 24.

Rogers has also sought support from Black voters, making appearances in Detroit and Pontiac. He has campaigned alongside President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric about El-Sayed has included attacks on his Muslim faith. Rogers has remained closely aligned with Trump, while discontent over the president, the Iran war and rising expenses poses challenges for Republicans.

Democrats need unity as El-Sayed and Stevens campaign together

The Detroit event is a last-minute effort to turn a narrow primary victory into a united Democratic campaign. El-Sayed and Stevens will appear with Rep. Jim Clyburn two days before the election, after months of divisions raised concerns about whether the coalition that backed Stevens would support the party’s nominee.

Stevens has made clear she will vote for El-Sayed, despite her fiancé’s intention to vote for Republican Mike Rogers. She has pressed the campaign to directly confront hate and make her supporters feel welcome. That is an urgent appeal in a race where Black and Jewish voters were important parts of her primary coalition.

The dispute over an ad linking U.S. support for Israel to grocery prices has further strained relations. El-Sayed distanced his campaign from the spot, but Stevens and other Democrats wanted him to condemn it more explicitly. The issue comes amid concerns among some Jewish voters about his statements and associations, and after almost $60 million was invested in primary ads attacking him.

Republicans, meanwhile, face voters unhappy with Trump, the Iran war and the high cost of living, even as Rogers has stayed aligned with the president. Trump has attacked El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. The Detroit appearance gives Democrats one final chance to focus on turnout and a shared campaign rather than the rancor that followed the primary.

Late Democratic unity push leaves questions about El-Sayed

Democrats are staging a last-minute show of unity after a bitter primary, but Stevens’ public warnings underline the challenge facing El-Sayed. The former rivals will campaign together at a Detroit church just two days before the election, despite ongoing divisions among voters who supported Stevens.

Stevens has pledged to vote for El-Sayed, while urging his campaign to address hate and reassure people in her coalition. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, has said he will vote for Republican Mike Rogers. The split shows why a joint appearance may not, by itself, settle concerns among voters.

Those concerns include El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel and a Rebellion PAC ad that tied U.S. support for Israel to grocery prices. El-Sayed said the ad was not his campaign’s, but Stevens and other Democrats called for a stronger rejection. Some Jewish voters have also questioned his remarks and associations. The primary featured nearly $60 million in advertising against him, including $30 million from AIPAC.

Republicans are making their own pitch to Black voters, while Rogers has campaigned with Trump and remained closely aligned with him. That may be a liability as people express frustration over Trump, the Iran war and steep living costs. Yet the late Democratic effort also has to overcome an unresolved dispute over Israel and whether El-Sayed has done enough to reassure Stevens’ supporters.