Stevens backer votes for GOP rival

Democratic unity in the Michigan Senate race remains fractured with less than one week until Election Day. The central question for party leaders is whether internal friction will outweigh voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Criticism of nominee Abdul El-Sayed has persisted since a contentious primary, with some supporters arguing he should focus on uniting traditional coalitions rather than courting new demographics like college students and rural residents.

Tensions became public again on Wednesday when Jason Turkish, the fiancé of former primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens, told The Detroit News he would vote for Republican Mike Rogers. Hours later, Stevens appeared on CNN to reaffirm her support for El-Sayed. She urged his campaign to "shut out the hate and call it out." Stevens also asked the campaign to make voters in her coalition feel comfortable coming to the polls. She drew substantial support from Jewish and Black voters during the primary.

Concerns from Michigan's large Jewish community have centered on El-Sayed's criticism of Israel, past remarks, and associations with streamer Hasan Piker. Turkish and other community members have stated El-Sayed has not done enough to address these worries. A recent advertisement by Rebellion PAC, an independent left-wing group, intensified the issue. The ad linked U.S. support for Israel to high grocery prices. El-Sayed said the ad had "nothing to do with our campaign" and was not what he wanted to discuss. Stevens and other Democrats urged him to denounce the content more explicitly rather than just distancing himself from it.

Republicans face their own challenges, including voter dissatisfaction with Trump, the Iran war, and high costs. Rogers has remained closely aligned with the president, appearing with him at a Michigan rally on Sunday. At the event, Rogers credited Trump with bringing manufacturing jobs back to the state. El-Sayed has tried to capitalize on this dissatisfaction by holding events in heavily Republican areas, including the Upper Peninsula. His campaign released an ad featuring clips of conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, praising him. Carlson has been accused of antisemitism, an accusation he has denied.

The outreach to conservative figures created another source of friction with some Jewish voters. Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield criticized both the Rebellion PAC ad and El-Sayed’s campaign ad during a call with reporters. Starr said the temperature has turned way up with the election one week away. He noted that conditions have gotten worse over the last seven weeks instead of improving.