Haley Stevens' Fiance Says He Will Vote For Mike Rogers Over El-Sayed
The legal professional cited antisemitic rhetoric and a failed primary unity, while the Michigan Democrat remains committed to her former rival's campaign.
By Allison Rojas ·
Jason Turkish, a Michigan lawyer and registered Democrat, announced on Wednesday night that he will cast his ballot for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers. The decision marks a sharp break in the state's Democratic base, as Turkish is the fiance of Representative Haley Stevens. He made the declaration at a campaign event hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan.
Turkish, who has donated to both parties, told reporters he could not support Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate who defeated Stevens in the primary. "I waited, and I watched and I listened for Abdul to moderate, but he didn't moderate, he escalated," Turkish said in a video released by The Detroit News. He described the candidate's approach as divisive rather than unifying.
The tension between the Stevens camp and El-Sayed began in the summer after the primary election. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed but has avoided public appearances with him since a unity breakfast held shortly after the vote. Turkish characterized the current situation as putting country before party. He noted that his decision follows a similar move by David Kramer, Stevens' former campaign chair, who stated on Tuesday that he also intends to vote for Rogers.
Turkish focused his criticism on El-Sayed's comments regarding the war in Gaza. He argued that El-Sayed's repeated use of the word genocide and his refusal to condemn a campaign ad blaming Jews for the price of bananas make his community less safe. "When he says genocide over and over again, when he refuses to condemn an ad that says Jews are to blame for the price of bananas, he makes my community less safe," Turkish said.
The attorney also pointed to El-Sayed's relationship with streamer Hasan Piker, who previously stated that America deserved the 9/11 attacks. Turkish said El-Sayed has become verbally combative with reporters asking about the connection. He argued that El-Sayed offers equivocations to explain away hate and predicted that Michigan voters would reject the candidate.
El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of Israel, labeling the conflict in Gaza a genocide. Israel maintains it is fighting terrorists who use civilians as shields and states it notifies residents before strikes. El-Sayed has not yet issued a direct response to Turkish's public comments. The candidate continues to campaign for a seat in the United States Senate.
Mike Rogers addressed the crowd at the Wednesday event without mentioning Turkish's endorsement in his main speech. He questioned El-Sayed's understanding of foreign policy. "This is not someone we can let into the United States Senate," Rogers said. "If you don't know Iran is our enemy and you can't condemn a Hezbollah-inspired attack, you have no business being in the United States Senate."
Stevens remains in the race for her House seat while backing El-Sayed for the Senate. She told CNN that her household is divided. "I still very much want our Democratic nominee, his name is Abdul, to win this race," she said. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
