They promised a moment of unity in Detroit. What they got was a public split that put a Democrat next to a Republican on Sunday. Rep. Haley Stevens stood inside Perfecting Church with her Senate opponent, Mike Rogers, while cameras rolled. The event was meant to heal a rift between Democrats. Instead, it exposed one.
Stevens had agreed to meet with rival Abdul El-Sayed after a push from former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. The plan required El-Sayed to apologize for antisemitic comments. He refused. He would not condemn the remarks. He kept attacking Stevens for accepting support from AIPAC. The result was a canceled appearance for him and a very different appearance for her.
I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today. https://t.co/pQgfSBuhOJ
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) November 1, 2026
Rep. Debbie Dingell helped organize the original service. She told Fox News that the church bishop asked Stevens to skip the event once the dispute grew. The tension became too much for the organizers. Stevens was told to stay away. She did not go to the event with El-Sayed. She went to the church service anyway. But she was not there with him.
El-Sayed was nowhere to be found at the service. His campaign had told Stevens to stay away from his events. He did not show up to the one with her. The RedState report noted that El-Sayed continued to take shots at Stevens even as the meeting fell apart. He blamed an outside group for a harmful ad. He said he disagreed with the message. That was not enough for the bishop or the organizers.
Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers appearing with Democrat U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens at Perfecting Church in Detroit https://t.co/Jxg5cEufV1
— Sam Robinson (@samueljrob) November 1, 2026
The situation changed when Stevens hinted she might support Rogers. She had lost a primary race to El-Sayed. She endorsed him after that loss. Now, she suggested he would not back the right policies. She said Rogers would take on policies supporting Black-owned businesses. According to the Washington Examiner, Stevens told the crowd, "And that’s the policy that Mike’s going to take on," referring to Rogers.
This is a rare moment. A Democrat is praising a Republican on stage. It happened because the other Democrat refused to take a stand against hate. Stevens faced a choice. She chose to stand with a man who opposes her party. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, had already endorsed Rogers. He said he could not support El-Sayed due to his views on Israel. The family line was drawn in the sand.
Stevens says she’s for investing in Black owned businesses. “And that’s the policy that Mike’s going to take on,” Stevens says. https://t.co/AdPPFxGyEC
— Sam Robinson (@samueljrob) November 1, 2026
People want leaders who speak the truth. They do not want leaders who ignore hate to keep the peace. El-Sayed refused to condemn the ad. The ad blamed U.S. support for Israel for high grocery prices. Jewish leaders called it antisemitic. El-Sayed said it was not his ad. He said he disagreed with it. But he would not say it was wrong. That silence cost him the event.
HAPPENING NOW: Congresswoman Haley Stevens joins Mike Rogers at church in Detroit this morning.
We have a state to save, Michigan. https://t.co/ZE2HJ1XfHP
— Abby Ronson (@abbyronson) November 1, 2026
According to Fox News, Stevens pressed El-Sayed to condemn the group. He would not do it. The church leaders saw the distraction. They acted. The unity event died. In its place, we saw a Democrat and a Republican stand together. It shows that principles matter more than party labels. When a candidate refuses to fight hate, the voters notice.