Rep. Haley Stevens endorses GOP candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens of Michigan announced her endorsement of Republican nominee Mike Rogers in the state's tightly contested U.S. Senate election on Sunday. The cross-party move delivers an unexpected twist in the closing stretch of a race seen as pivotal in determining which political party holds power in the Senate.

Stevens made her stance public in a video statement following a public fallout with the Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed. In the video, Stevens explained that El-Sayed had informed her she was no longer welcome within his campaign operations and should remain away. Stevens said she agreed with that assessment, adding that she did not belong in his campaign and was therefore backing Rogers for the seat.

The unexpected cross-party endorsement followed a joint public appearance earlier on Sunday, when Stevens and Rogers attended a church service together in Detroit. Abby Ronson, a spokesperson for Rogers, confirmed the joint church visit and noted prior to the official announcement that Rogers welcomed Stevens' support, according to NBC News.

The rupture between the two Democrats unfolded rapidly over the weekend. Stevens had originally planned to appear at a Sunday rally to back El-Sayed and previously indicated she would support the Democratic ticket. However, tensions escalated after both sides issued sharply critical statements against each other. Stevens urged El-Sayed to publicly denounce a political commercial sponsored by an outside group, which she characterized as antisemitic. El-Sayed fired back, accusing the congresswoman of attempting to rehash an internal primary contest that had concluded months earlier.

The public clash led El-Sayed's campaign team to ask Stevens to withdraw from attending future campaign events. The bitter dispute stirred anxiety among Democratic officials, who feared the high-profile infighting would create a harmful distraction in one of the country's most fiercely competitive Senate contests.

The endorsement triggered swift backlash among Democratic supporters and led to immediate turmoil within Stevens' own staff. Justin German, the representative's longtime chief of staff, alongside several additional congressional aides, resigned from their positions in protest over her decision to back the Republican candidate, according to a person familiar with the office.

The practical electoral influence of Stevens' late switch remains uncertain, as Michigan voters have already cast more than 2 million ballots through mail and early voting procedures ahead of Election Day. NBC News noted that requests for comment submitted to the campaigns of both Rogers and El-Sayed were not immediately answered.