Turkish Backs Rogers in Michigan Senate Race

Civil rights attorney Jason Turkish, engaged to Representative Haley Stevens, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections

Turkish Backs Rogers in Michigan Senate Race

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Jason Turkish, engaged to Representative Haley Stevens, announced his endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race in a video statement. Stevens, who lost the August Senate primary to El-Sayed, said she will vote for El-Sayed despite her fiancé's endorsement.

Why it matters

Turkish cited concerns about El-Sayed's criticism of Israel and its implications for Jewish Americans, as well as El-Sayed's response to an outside group's advert, which he said was insufficient. The split within a household tied to the Democratic primary highlights lingering divisions in the party ahead of the November 3 election.

AIPAC is reportedly spending more than $9 million supporting Rogers in the Michigan Senate race. The extraction provides no comparable figure for spending backing El-Sayed, and the effect of the spending on the outcome is not established.

The players

Mike Rogers

Mike Rogers is a former Republican congressman who is seeking the Michigan Senate seat.

Abdul El-Sayed

Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for the Michigan Senate seat who won the August primary.

Haley Stevens

Haley Stevens is a Democratic representative from Michigan who lost the Senate primary to El-Sayed.

Elissa Slotkin

Elissa Slotkin is a Michigan senator who has publicly backed El-Sayed.

The details

Turkish said he waited for El-Sayed to disavow an outside group's advert blaming U.S. military support for Israel for rising grocery prices, and said El-Sayed's repeated use of the word 'genocide' to describe Israel's actions in Gaza made Jewish Americans feel less safe. Stevens said she will vote for El-Sayed and voiced concerns about an El-Sayed campaign advert featuring Tucker Carlson criticizing Rogers.

August 2026: Stevens lost the Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed.
November 3, 2026: Michigan Senate election day.

Political Context

AIPAC is reportedly spending more than $9 million backing Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, continuing the group's pattern of heavy independent spending in competitive contests. Turkish's critique of El-Sayed's handling of Israel-related criticism reflects a broader Democratic debate over how the party should address Israel policy.

The outcome of the Michigan Senate race will determine which candidate represents the state in the Senate beginning in January. Voters in Michigan will choose between Rogers and El-Sayed on November 3, 2026.

The takeaway

Party endorsements and primary losses do not always translate into unified support, and voters may weigh candidates' positions on foreign policy differently than party leaders do. Readers tracking the race can compare each candidate's stated positions directly as the November 3 election approaches.