Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Asks Haley Stevens to Stay Away as Michigan Senate Race Intensifies

Tensions between Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Haley Stevens have escalated just days before a crucial U.S. Senate election. El-Sayed’s campaign has reportedly asked Stevens to stay away from upcoming campaign events, amid concerns within the Democratic Party that internal divisions could affect its efforts to retain Michigan’s Senate seat.

The development follows a series of sharp exchanges between the two Democrats, bringing back divisions that emerged during the party’s primary election. The dispute comes as Democrats seek to unite behind their nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.

Abdul El-Sayed Campaign Asks Haley Stevens to Avoid Campaign Events

Sources familiar with the campaign’s decision told Politico that El-Sayed’s team asked Representative Haley Stevens not to attend any upcoming campaign events during the final days of the race.

The sources explained that the move was intended to keep attention focused on the campaign’s main issues, particularly as Election Day approaches and the competition for Michigan’s Senate seat intensifies.

The request came one day after a series of public exchanges between the two candidates, prompting frustration among some Democrats concerned that internal disputes could undermine the party’s efforts to retain the seat.

Dispute Between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens Reignites Over Israel Remarks

The roots of the dispute date back to the Democratic primary held in August, when Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Haley Stevens in a contest marked by divisions over positions on Israel.

The two candidates appeared together at a unity breakfast following the primary, but they have not participated in joint campaign events since then.

Stevens had previously said she was willing to appear alongside El-Sayed and Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina at an event scheduled to take place at a church in Detroit on Sunday.

However, she made her participation conditional on El-Sayed apologizing for some of his previous remarks and condemning a campaign advertisement published by an outside group supporting him, which she described as antisemitic.

The advertisement featured a conversation between a woman and a man inside a grocery store. The woman said they could not afford eggs because they had to spend their money on “killing Palestinians.” El-Sayed’s campaign had previously stated that it was not affiliated with the advertisement.

El-Sayed Responds to Stevens’ Demands and Focuses on Mike Rogers

In response to Stevens’ remarks, El-Sayed did not directly address the advertisement or her demand for an apology over his previous comments about Israel.

Instead, he emphasized that his campaign remained focused on the main challenges facing Michigan residents.

He pointed to his campaign’s ability to overcome a record $70 million in outside spending by major corporations and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which had supported his primary opponent.

El-Sayed added that the focus should now be on the next electoral challenge: defeating Republican candidate Mike Rogers, rather than reopening disputes from a primary that ended three months earlier.

Democratic Leaders Warn About the Impact of Internal Divisions

The dispute has caused frustration among several Michigan Democrats, who fear that continued disagreements could weaken efforts to unite the party ahead of the election.

Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow, who lost in the primary race, criticized the ongoing public exchanges between the two sides. She said voters were more concerned about issues such as fuel and grocery prices than political disputes between candidates.

Meanwhile, Detroit Representative Joe Tate, who supported Stevens during the primary but now backs El-Sayed, said efforts were underway to unite Democrats behind their nominee. However, he acknowledged that the primary contest could leave lasting disagreements between the parties involved.

Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also urged Democrats to unite behind El-Sayed, pointing to issues such as healthcare and the cost of living as reasons why party unity matters at this stage of the campaign.

Republicans Highlight Disagreements Between El-Sayed and Stevens

Republicans have sought to draw attention to divisions within the Democratic Party.

Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate in the Senate race, described Stevens as a courageous leader and expressed support for her demand that El-Sayed apologize.

U.S. President Donald Trump also criticized support for El-Sayed during a campaign rally in Daytona, Florida, making remarks that sparked debate over the tone of the election campaign.

The developments come as Michigan’s Senate seat remains important to Democrats. The seat is currently held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters, and the party is seeking to retain it as part of its broader effort to regain control of the U.S. Senate.