Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel Jr. says US Representative Haley Stevens is no longer part of the state party after endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race.
Stevens, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church on Sunday, just two days before the November 3 election.
Hertel condemned her decision, accusing her of betraying Democratic voters.
“The people of Michigan are betrayed. The people that supported her are betrayed,” Hertel told reporters.
He also accused Stevens of misleading party leaders, including US Representative Jim Clyburn.
The endorsement followed tensions between Stevens and El-Sayed over campaign advertisements concerning Israel, antisemitism and US spending abroad.
Stevens had demanded that El-Sayed condemn certain advertisements, while El-Sayed accused her of distracting from his campaign priorities.
Several members of Stevens’ staff reportedly resigned following her endorsement of Rogers.
Hertel also criticised Rogers’ campaign, accusing it of Islamophobia towards El-Sayed, who is Muslim.
“I don’t think she has a future in the Democratic Party at all,” Hertel said.
However, it remains unclear whether Stevens has formally been removed from the Michigan Democratic Party or whether Hertel was referring to her political standing.
