US Midterm Election 2026: Michigan’s Bitter Senate Race Exposes Deepening Democratic Rift as El-Sayed-Stevens Feud Threatens Party Unity Ahead of 2028

Four days before Michigan votes, the Democratic Party’s uneasy truce over its Senate nominee is coming apart in public.

Abdul El-Sayed, the party’s candidate, and Representative Haley Stevens, the former primary rival he defeated in August, have traded sharp statements over Israel, a controversial advertisement and the terms of the party’s unity. Their dispute has spilled into the broader contest against Republican Mike Rogers, and it has raised a question that extends well beyond November: whether Democrats can rebuild a coalition in Michigan before choosing a presidential nominee in 2028.

The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and the state’s voters are weighing the same issues that have shaped the campaign nationally: the cost of living, the war with Iran and the role of Israel in American foreign policy.

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How Did The Feud Between El-Sayed And Stevens Escalate?

The disagreement dates back to the Democratic primary, which El-Sayed won on 4 August with 48.5 per cent of the vote after a campaign in which pro-Israel groups spent heavily in support of Stevens. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after his victory. Since then, the two have rarely appeared together, and their relationship has deteriorated sharply in recent days.

On Wednesday, Stevens demanded that El-Sayed condemn an advertisement from Rebellion PAC, an independent left-wing group, which she described as antisemitic.

The video shows a couple in a grocery store discussing the cost of groceries and US military aid to Israel. She also asked him to apologise for suggesting that Israel was the reason Michigan could not afford schools, healthcare and childcare. Stevens’s statement said that El-Sayed “can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.”

El-Sayed responded on Friday evening that Stevens “seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.” He urged Democrats to focus instead on “beating Mike Rogers, holding Trump accountable, and getting money out of politics.”

Why Did The Campaign Ask Stevens To Stay Away?