Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after losing an August primary to progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed by less than one percent. The dispute escalated over an El-Sayed campaign advertisement connecting grocery costs to U.S. aid for Israel, which Stevens denounced as antisemitic. While Donald Trump lauded Stevens for her bravery, Senator Chuck Schumer condemned her late endorsement as a despicable betrayal. Despite the party fracture, Democrats maintain national leads across seven crucial Senate contests heading into the vote.
Key points
Severe policy divisions over the Gaza war and Israel continue to fracture internal Democr…: Severe policy divisions over the Gaza war and Israel continue to fracture internal Democratic unity ahead of the vote.
Democrats hold leads in seven critical Senate races despite recent internal party frictio…: Democrats hold leads in seven critical Senate races despite recent internal party friction and defections.
Party strategists remain wary of potential polling errors regarding rural, working-class…: Party strategists remain wary of potential polling errors regarding rural, working-class voters who previously supported Donald Trump.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
TOI Correspondent From Washington: Just when Democrats in America were beginning to entertain thoughts of a blue wave, possibly even a blue tsunami, along came Haley Stevens to remind them that nobody is quite as capable of complicating Democratic fortunes as a Democrat.
In an extraordinary convulsion barely 48 hours before Tuesday's midterm elections, the Democratic Michigan congresswoman, who lost a bitter party primary (inner party election) to progressive Abdul El-Sayed, crossed the political aisle to endorse his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, in what would be called a last minute “defection” in Indian political parlance.
The immediate political damage is difficult to quantify, but the optics and the timing – coming just when many polls are showing a Republican rout – could hardly be worse for Democrats, who are trying to persuade voters that they are united and ready to take back control of Washington. Instead, one of their own has provided Republicans with a ready-made advertisement for Democratic disarray. MAGA boss Donald Trump immediately jumped on the break, praising her “bravery.”
The Stevens-El-Sayed rupture had been simmering since a…
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