Rep. Haley Stevens endorses GOP candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday, a major shakeup in the final stages of a top battleground race that could determine which party controls the Senate. “Hey, Michigan, as you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away,” Stevens said in a video. “And he’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” she said. “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign.”The congresswoman’s announcement marks a whirlwind turnabout from just days ago, when she said she would support her party’s ticket and planned to attend a campaign event on Sunday to support Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. But leading up to the rally, Stevens and El-Sayed released dueling critical public statements, prompting concerns from Democrats that the spat was a distraction from what is widely seen as one of the most competitive Senate races.Stevens had said that she expected El-Sayed to condemn an ad from an outside group that she said was antisemitic. El-Sayed responded, accusing Stevens of being “intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.” NBC News reported Saturday that El-Sayed’s campaign had asked Stevens to no longer attend campaign events following the dueling statements.NBC News has reached out to El-Sayed’s and Rogers’ campaigns for comment on Stevens’ endorsement. Stevens’ announcement came after she appeared alongside Rogers at church in Detroit, Rogers spokesperson Abby Ronson confirmed.“Mike welcomes her,” Ronson told NBC News ahead of Stevens’ endorsement.Stevens’ criticism of El-Sayed, her onetime primary opponent, and appearance alongside Rogers on Sunday have infuriated Democratic allies of El-Sayed, who have spent the weekend responding to Stevens’ criticisms of the party’s candidate in the crucial window before Election Day.Even within her own office, Stevens’ decision to endorse Rogers appeared to have quick ripple effects through her official congressional operation.A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Stevens’ longtime chief of staff Justin German, as well as several other staff members in her congressional office, are resigning over Stevens’ decision to endorse Rogers. Still, it’s unclear how much Stevens’ endorsement could impact the race’s outcome. More than 2 million votes have already been cast in the state through mail-in and early in-person voting.