Haley Stevens Backs Rogers, and a Reported AOC Call Did Not Head It Off

Rep. Haley Stevens, the Michigan Democrat who narrowly lost her party's Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in the race instead. She made it official in a video released Sunday, Nov. 1, after attending a church service with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit, one day before Election Day, which is presumably Nov. 3.

Politico reported, as cited by the Daily Wire, that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent figure on the Democratic left who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, had tried to head off the endorsement. By that account, the effort did not work. We have not seen Politico's report ourselves, and the account is single-sourced.

With the election imminent, the question is whether a sitting Democratic member of Congress telling Michigan voters to back the Republican moves anything in the Senate race.

From Endorsing El-Sayed to Backing Rogers

After losing the primary, Stevens quickly endorsed the winner. According to the Daily Wire, the relationship soured from there. The two clashed over an anti-Israel campaign ad, and over the weekend it was reported that El-Sayed no longer wanted Stevens campaigning on his behalf. The reasons for that break have not been laid out in detail.

Stevens addressed it in her endorsement video with a pointed line:

"I don't belong in Abdul's campaign. I do not stand with Hasan Piker."

How Piker is connected to the El-Sayed campaign was only partly explained in the reporting reviewed for this story.

The Reported Call

The most striking piece of the episode comes from Politico Playbook, as cited by the Daily Wire. According to that account, Ocasio-Cortez and Stevens spoke by phone for about 25 minutes last Wednesday. Stevens had complained about not being invited to an Ocasio-Cortez rally for El-Sayed in Pontiac. In remarks to Politico the Monday before, Oct. 27, she said, "It's starting to feel like AOC comes in and it's exclusive."

Per Politico, as relayed by the Daily Wire, Stevens afterward thanked Ocasio-Cortez by text, and Ocasio-Cortez wrote back with an apology: "I'm sorry again and I'm really glad we got to connect and talk." Days later, Stevens was at the Detroit church with the Republican nominee.

A caution is in order. The account of the call and the texts is Politico's, relayed by the Daily Wire, and we have not verified it. The Daily Wire's description of the effort as a scramble is its own characterization. We have seen no public response from Ocasio-Cortez or El-Sayed to the report. The Daily Wire also noted that Ocasio-Cortez has rallied for other Senate candidates, including Troy Jackson in Maine and Angie Nixon in Florida.

Vance Sees an Opening

Vice President JD Vance weighed in Monday. He told Fox News Digital the endorsement will "certainly" help Rogers, and said it gives some Michigan voters "permission" to back him, according to Fox News. His view of the Democratic nominee was blunt, and plainly partisan opinion: "El-Sayed's a crazy person and Mike Rogers is a patriot."

The reaction was not one-sided. Based on headlines from Fox's live coverage, which we saw only in search excerpts, El-Sayed set a single-day fundraising record after the endorsement, though no figure appeared. Other headlines said Michigan Republican and Jewish leaders condemned El-Sayed and backed Rogers, and that El-Sayed's left-wing allies attacked Stevens as "evil." Another headline said an unnamed Michigan Democrat claimed Stevens had shot down a Rogers endorsement rumor hours before turning on El-Sayed. That claim is unverified. Another headline said "The View" host Sara Haines praised the endorsement as "brave."

What Comes Next

Election Day is expected Tuesday, Nov. 3. The results will show whether Stevens' endorsement moved votes toward Rogers or simply energized El-Sayed's supporters and donors. Still unanswered are El-Sayed's own account of the falling-out, the size of his fundraising haul, and whether Ocasio-Cortez will respond to Politico's reported account of the call.