Michigan Democrats ditch Abdul El-Sayed, push split-ticket voting for Republican Mike Rogers

WASHINGTON, DC: Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the Michigan Senate, is facing resistance from within his own party. Several Democrats now openly support Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate, as Election Day approaches.

Some are urging voters to split their tickets by backing Rogers in the Senate race while voting for Democrats in other contests.

Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters said voters shouldn’t feel obligated to support El-Sayed simply because he carries the Democratic label.

She made the remarks to the New York Post shortly after Rep Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the August primary, threw her support behind Rogers.

Stevens has joined a growing group of Democratic voices backing the Republican, highlighting the divide within the party.

Democrats back Mike Rogers as Abdul El-Sayed faces party revolt

“There are a number of people that don’t even know that they can split their ballot in the general election,” Democratic City Councilwoman Mary Waters told The Post in an interview.

“Please don’t feel as though that you cannot, if you liked Mike Rogers, that you cannot vote for him. You can, if you want to,” she said.

Waters played coy when asked which Senate candidate would get her vote on Tuesday, November 3, but her intentions were clear. “I won’t say who I’ll be voting for, but I will be splitting my ticket,” she responded with a smirk.

Stevens surprised Democrats on Sunday, November 1, when she endorsed Rogers. A four-term lawmaker representing Detroit’s suburbs, she said El-Sayed’s criticism of Israel played a significant role in her decision.

El-Sayed, who is Muslim, has been vocal about his views on Israel. Stevens’ fiance, Jason Turkish, who is Jewish, also criticized El-Sayed’s stance and endorsed Rogers a few days before Stevens publicly announced her support.

Their primary battle, however, reflects a larger divide within the Democratic Party: the struggle between its centrist and progressive wings.

Michigan’s Senate race could also offer a preview of the 2028 presidential primary, as both factions compete for influence over the party’s future.

Mike Rogers gains support from prominent Democrats

Rogers welcomed the endorsements, saying Stevens was not the first Democrat to support his campaign, although she was the most prominent.

He also pointed to criticism of El-Sayed’s position on defunding the police from other Democratic figures, including a Democratic county sheriff.

Several other Democrats are also supporting Rogers, including former Sen Joe Manchin, a Democrat who later became an Independent.

Manchin, a prominent moderate, called Rogers a “personal friend” during an interview with CNBC.

“I do support Mike Rogers,” the former senator from West Virginia said. “I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job.”

Other Democratic endorsers include former Democratic Rep Hansen Clarke, state Rep Karen Whitsett, and prominent fundraiser David Kramer, who previously served as finance chairman for Sen Elissa Slotkin, Gov Gretchen Whitmer, and Stevens.

“Haley Stevens is not the first one to do this. She may be the most prominent one,” Rogers said, praising Stevens’ “courage and bravery.”

“There are elected officials, a Democrat County Sheriff who said this guy’s position on defunding the police is so extreme, they can’t do it. The list continues,” he added. “This is a pattern. When you have that many people out on him, people start to listen.”

The Senate race could have implications for Republicans’ efforts to maintain control of the upper chamber. Election Day in Michigan is Tuesday, November 3.