El-Sayed raises $1.2M after Stevens backs Republican rival

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed raised $1.2 million within four hours after Representative Haley Stevens endorsed his Republican rival Mike Rogers, marking his second-largest single-day fundraising total since winning the party's nomination in August.

Fundraising surge

The Hill reported the figure on Monday, confirming earlier reporting by Politico that cited El-Sayed's campaign. The amount represents the nominee's second-largest daily haul since his primary victory in August. The Democratic National Committee and El-Sayed sent a joint fundraising email on Sunday evening as donations poured in, with El-Sayed writing: "Some people would love for the last days of this race to be about politicians," adding, "I will not be distracted."

Primary feud

Stevens announced her endorsement of Rogers on Sunday, just two days before Tuesday's election, following a public dispute with El-Sayed. She had lost to him in the Democratic primary but initially endorsed his candidacy before relations soured last week over demands that he apologize for past remarks about Israel and disavow a campaign advertisement that critics considered antisemitic.

El-Sayed refused both demands and subsequently barred Stevens from a Sunday campaign event where other Democrats had hoped to reconcile the two. "Abdul ... said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign, and that I should stay away. And he's right," Stevens said in an online video announcing her support for the Republican.

Caucus backlash

The endorsement complicates Democratic efforts to retain the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters as the party seeks to secure a majority. Axios reported that Democratic Representatives Lateefah Simon, Marc Veasey and Emily Randall were among lawmakers calling for Stevens' removal from the House Democratic caucus, while Politico noted that at least eight House Democrats wanted Stevens removed or otherwise disciplined over her support for Rogers.