US Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and fellow Michigan Democrats have scrambled to refocus attention on turning out voters for Election Day, after his former primary rival stunned the party by endorsing the Republican candidate in one of the country's most closely watched races.
The final push before Tuesday's midterms followed a dramatic Sunday, when Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after appearing alongside him at church.
The move prompted her expulsion from the state Democratic Party and drew fierce condemnation from party leadership and longtime allies.
Speaking Monday morning at Eastern Michigan University, El-Sayed made no mention of the controversy, emphasising instead that his campaign was about voters: "There's only one thing we can do to control the outcome... Go vote."
Senator Elizabeth Warren joined him at Monday's rally.
GOP touts endorsement
For Rogers and Republicans, the endorsement represented a remarkable coup.
Rogers personally reached out to Stevens over the weekend, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions, with his campaign touting the defection to voters on Monday.
For Democrats, the defection exposed lingering divisions over El-Sayed, who narrowly defeated Stevens by around 14,000 votes in an expensive August primary marked by disagreements over Israel and its genocidal war in Gaza.
Party leaders had spent the final weeks attempting to shore up support for El-Sayed, particularly among Jewish and Black voters who had backed Stevens.
However, party leaders rebuked Stevens and insisted the controversy would galvanise their base.
El-Sayed reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday—his largest single-day total—whilst the state party witnessed a surge in volunteer canvassers.
"I don't think this changes the election results other than it galvanises Democrats," said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel.
Tensions had escalated over a planned unity event after disputes regarding Israel and campaign advertisements prompted Representative Debbie Dingell to uninvite Stevens to avoid distractions.
With over 2.3 million Michigan voters having cast ballots ahead of Tuesday's polls, both parties are watching whether the eleventh-hour upheaval sways the remaining electorate.
