1% Gap: Stevens Faces Fire Over El-Sayed Endorsement
Progressive activists criticized the Michigan representative for her vague comments on a CNN program, demanding a clear statement of support for the Senate nominee.
By Maya Sokolov ·
The margin of victory in Michigan's recent Democratic primary was narrow, but the subsequent fallout has widened into a public dispute over television appearances.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., appeared on CNN's State of the Union over the weekend to discuss her support for the state's Democratic ticket. She stated, "Look, I'm on the Democratic ticket. I can't say that I agree with everything that's gone on," while expressing support for gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
When asked directly about Abdul El-Sayed, Stevens replied, "Well, look, I would just say, if you had asked me if I'm still on the team, I'm on the team." Her refusal to use the word "endorse" triggered immediate criticism from progressive figures online.
Leah Greenberg, who leads the activist group Indivisible, argued that Stevens should avoid media appearances unless she can offer full support. She wrote, "It is late October and people are voting every day, if you cannot give a full-throated endorsement to the Democratic nominee who could be the key vote in flipping the Senate, then stay the f, off television." Mehdi Hasan added on X that the lack of explicit backing was a "hypocritical centrist lie." Other critics, including Kyle Blomquist and Emma Vigeland, accused Stevens of sabotaging the race to protect her own career.
Establishment-aligned Democrats defended Stevens against the progressive backlash. Strategist Lis Smith responded to Hasan by comparing El-Sayed to other Democratic Senate candidates in North Carolina and Alaska. Smith wrote, "People, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, clamoring to support the Peltolas and Coopers is actually a validation of their candidate quality!" She argued that candidates should be associated with strength, not just party loyalty.
The tension stems from the primary results earlier this year, where El-Sayed defeated Stevens by a one percent margin. El-Sayed received 48.5 percent of the vote, while Stevens captured 47.5 percent. Fellow Democrat Mallory McMorrow finished with 4 percent. Stevens had the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whereas El-Sayed is supported by Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Fox News Digital contacted Stevens' office for comment on the online reaction but did not receive an immediate response.
Source: Fox News
