According to a report by the Associated Press on November 1st, as the U.S. midterm elections approach, Michigan Democratic Representative Haley Stevens suddenly “revolted” and announced her support for Republican Senator candidate Mike Rogers from that state. This decision further exacerbated internal divisions within the Democratic Party and delighted U.S. President Donald Trump.
In April last year, Stevens announced his intention to run for the seat of the retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peter in Michigan’s Federal Senate election. However, in an August primary election within his party, Stevens was defeated by another candidate, Abdul Said, and failed to receive the nomination from the Democrats.
Since the primary election, Stevens and Saeed have maintained a tense relationship, with significant differences on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Stevens is a staunch supporter of Israel, while Saeed holds critical views towards Israel. Although Stevens initially promised to assist Saeed in his campaign, they no longer appeared together after the primary election.
On November 1st, local time, Stevens openly ‘voted against’ the norm and announced her support for Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Michigan's federal senator in the midterm elections. She said, “Our Democratic senator candidate said that I was no longer welcome on his campaign team and told me to stay away from the campaign. He is right, and that’s why I today support Mike Rogers as a candidate for senator.”
Haley Stevens, Visual China
Stevens and Rogers went to a church in northern Detroit to attend services together. Stevens told American media that she did not intend to 'betray Democrats'; it was just one vote. Rogers, however, said that Stevens's support made him feel 'honored'.
The Michigan Democratic Party originally planned for Stevens and Saeed to attend the event together, in order to promote unity within the party. However, Stevens switched sides just 48 hours before the midterm elections, causing a major shock among Democrats. Since the Democrats are striving to gain control of Congress, retaining the seat of the senator from Michigan is crucial for their party.
"In a statement, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hecker stated: “We oppose Steven’s and those with malicious intentions who attempt to split the Democratic party, disrupt our momentum, and interfere with the campaign.” He added that Steven “is not a member of the Michigan Democratic Party now, nor will he be in the future."
Said responded by saying that he focused on issues that concern the voters. “I don’t think about Hailey Stevens at all; none of this matters.”
Republicans are happy to see their competitors split apart. Trump posted on social media, praising Stevens as “a highly respected Democrat,” and said he has gained “almost unprecedented” support from black and Jewish voters in Michigan.
On the 1st day, Trump praised Stevens again during a campaign rally in Iowa, calling her “brave”. Trump said, “I don’t know Haley, and I’ve never met her, but she said things that few people would say. I actually really hope she will join the Republican Party.”
The United States will hold mid-term elections on November 3rd, local time. Early voting has started since October 24th. According to The Associated Press, as of October 30th, more than 1.8 million people in Michigan have voted. A latest poll conducted by the polling agency YouGov shows that Democratic candidate Saeed has a support rate of 51%, while Republican candidate Rogers has a support rate of 47%. The gap between the two candidates is 4 percentage points.
