This isn’t a hard thing to do. In fact, it should be automatic. The fact that this was a negotiating point says everything about the state of the Democratic Party and Abdul El-Sayed especially. Rep. Hayley Stevens, El-Sayed’s former primary opponent, is set to appear in a joint press conference on Sunday.
BASH: “You're still fully behind Abdul El-Sayed?” STEVENS: “Look, I'm on the Democratic ticket. I can't say that I agree with everything that's gone on… I'm looking to be on the team to support my next governor Jocelyn Benson, and frankly these great Democrats who are working their tails off, who are going to make Hakeem Jeffries the first black Speaker of the House.” BASH: “You didn't mention Abdul El-Sayed in that last answer.” STEVENS: “Well, look, I would just say, you had asked me if I'm still on the team, I'm on the team.”
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 25, 2026
This follows her less-than-full-throated endorsement of Mr. El-Sayed and Stevens’ fiancé's open support for Republican Mike Rogers. The latter feeds the narrative that Democrat support in the state is collapsing for El-Sayed, especially among Jewish and black voters. Stevens issued a press release about the upcoming media event, where El-Sayed is expected to denounce the virulently antisemitic Rebellion PAC ad that blames Israel for the cost of goods simply for existing.
CNN: How top Democrats negotiated a joint El-Sayed and Stevens appearance that's still tenuous According to a source familiar with the matter, there were talks through Thursday night and into the early Friday morning hours about getting Stevens onto the campaign trail with El-Sayed, who faces Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest critical to the battle for majority control of the Senate. But Stevens was only willing to do so if he clearly disavows an ad by an outside group that alleges that high prices in Michigan are the result of foreign aid given to Israel. Stevens and some Jewish Democrats have denounced the ad as antisemitic. The Michigan Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel and Stevens’ fiancé Jason Turkish were involved in the negotiations between the two. Link to article: https://t.co/B8SJMh5e6V
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) October 30, 2026
WOW: Haley Stevens SLAMS Abdul over his antisemitism throughout the campaign: "But the ad did not invent its argument; it dramatized one Dr. El-Sayed has made in his own words throughout this campaign... if those words are wrong when a Political Action Committee supporting his campaign says them, then they are equally wrong when Abdul says them, and Abdul has said them from the start." https://t.co/Opwp2kwlqZ
— Democrats For Mike Rogers (@DemsForMike) October 30, 2026
WOW - Haley Stevens says she only accepted the invitation to campaign with Abdul when she got the commitment that he would *officially condemn* the antisemitic ad blaming Jews for prices of bananas, and apologize for HIS OWN RHETORIC blaming Israel for cost of living issues.
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) October 30, 2026
This had to be negotiated? That says everything you need to know about the Democrats and El-Sayed. Denouncing that ad isn’t a debate. It just should’ve been done.