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With three days left until the 2026 midterm elections, a Democratic Party civil war has erupted in Michigan between progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and former primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens.
asserted
war → take → Sayed
The split started when Stevens's fiancé, Jason Turkish, said Wednesday that he would be casting a vote for El-Sayed's opponent, Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
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he → start → opponent
Stevens appeared on CNN hours later to reaffirm that she would be voting for El-Sayed, but urged his campaign to 'shut out the hate and call it out.'
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she → appear → it
On Thursday, the two seemed to make amends and scheduled a Sunday campaign event at a church in Detroit with South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, an influential Democrat seen as a major force in Joe Biden's 2020 primary win.
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two → seem → win
Stevens then released a social media statement on Friday criticizing El-Sayed and demanding he condemn an ad linking US support for Israel to rising grocery prices.
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he → release → prices
El-Sayed's campaign has since asked Stevens to stay away from the event, MS NOW reported Saturday.
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NOW → ask → event
El-Sayed sidestepped questions from reporters about whether he wanted Stevens to appear with him, saying that she 'wants to talk about other things.
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she → sidestep → things
When directly asked if Stevens was 'trying to rat f***' his campaign, he laughed and said: 'That is not a question for me.'
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That → ask → me
Abdul El–Sayed's campaign has asked former Democratic primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens to stay away from a church event on Sunday and future events
Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, said Wednesday that he would be casting a vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers
The invitation for Stevens to attend church 'still stands,' according to Clyburn adviser Antjuan Seawright
Rogers said he would welcome Stevens 'to join us at an event or any of our campaign events,' according to MS NOW.
Clyburn adviser Antjuan Seawright said the invitation for Stevens to attend church 'still stands,' the outlet reported.
uncertain
outlet → ask → church
It appears as though El-Sayed's distancing from Stevens could extend past the scheduled church event.
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distancing → appear → event
His campaign asked Stevens to stay away from all future campaign events ahead of the election next week, Politico reported.
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Politico → ask → election
A source told the outlet that Stevens should remain away to not 'distract from the central issues of the campaign,' per the report.
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Stevens → tell → report
On Thursday, El-Sayed said when asked by reporters about the church event with Stevens that 'we're always trying to unify the party.'
He said that an event had not happened sooner because of their busy schedules.
The progressive candidate added then that 'nobody cares' about party dynamics given the high cost of living.
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nobody → say → living
El–Sayed said that Stevens 'wants to talk about other things' when asked on Saturday if he wanted her to appear with him at the church
The one-minute spot at the center of the spat was run by the leftist commentator Cenk Uygur's Rebellion PAC.
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spot → say → PAC
El-Sayed, a vocal critic of Israel, previously campaigned with Piker, drawing concern from some in Michigan's Jewish community.
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Sayed → campaign → community
The ad features moments during conversations in a grocery store, including one where a woman tells a man she can't afford eggs because they had to use their money 'killing Palestinians.'
El-Sayed's campaign has noted that the ad was not made or endorsed by the campaign and said it 'has always been focused on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing.'
El-Sayed himself told reporters on Saturday that he did 'not agree with the contents of that ad.'
In response, Stevens said she was glad to see El-Sayed say he did not agree 'with the content of the vile... ad which claimed Israel and Jews were to blame for the high costs of groceries.'
She did not refer to El-Sayed by name and only called him 'our senate nominee,' according to the statement reported by Semafor's Nicholas Wu.
'Whenever anyone tries to set us against each other, we have an obligation to stand up and fight back,' Stevens added.
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Stevens → feature → obligation
'This is what our constituents deserve from those of us in elected leadership.'
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constituents → deserve → leadership
Stevens had forcefully pushed back on the ad on Friday and suggested El-Sayed should do more to reject it.
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Sayed → push → it
She is a staunch supporter of Israel who represents a district with a significant Jewish community in Detroit's suburbs.
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who → represent → suburbs
'Abdul promises to get money out of politics,' Stevens wrote Friday on X.
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Stevens → promise → X.
'He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.'
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Michigan → begin → everything
El-Sayed and Stevens last appeared together on August 6, two days after the primary.
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Sayed → appear → primary
Stevens, who lost the primary by just under 1 percentage point, pledged to support El-Sayed and said she would do 'whatever he wants me to do' on the campaign trail.
Michigan hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1994.
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Michigan → lose → 1994
Donald Trump won the state in 2016 and 2024.
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Trump → win → 2016
Republicans face political challenges of their own, particularly voter dissatisfaction with Trump, the Iran war and high costs.
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Republicans → face → Trump
Rogers has remained closely aligned with the president on most issues, appearing alongside him at a Michigan rally last Sunday where he credited Trump with bringing manufacturing jobs back to the state.
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he → remain → state
Trump has repeatedly attacked El-Sayed's Muslim faith, calling him a 'jihadist' and saying that he was 'on the side of terrorists.'
He previously said: 'If you're black, or if you're Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you're not smart.'
Both candidates are trying to win over black voters, particularly in Detroit's Wayne County, where Stevens defeated El-Sayed in the Democratic primary.
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Stevens → attack → primary
Meanwhile, Rogers has visited a reading remediation program at a Detroit high school and discussed housing costs with residents in Pontiac, north of the city.
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Rogers → visit → city
Early voting in Michigan started on October 24.
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voting → start → October
The Daily Mail has reached out to El-Sayed and Stevens for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
The Aporia
