“It is not anti-Muslim.” A Democratic representative supports the Republican competitor, Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid, in the Senate elections.

- Democratic Representative from Michigan, Haley Stevens, decided to go against her party and announced her support for the Republican Party candidate for Senate, Mike Rogers, after days of public tensions with her former rival in the primary elections, Abdul Rahman Al-Sayed. This paves the way for the question of whether Democrats who supported Stevens in the primary will follow suit in the Michigan state election race.

The state Democratic Party strongly criticized the representative, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the party's senators support Mr. Stevens stated on Sunday that her support for the Republican Party's Senate candidate, Mike Rogers, "does not represent anti-Muslim sentiment."

Asked how she reconciles her support for Rogers with repeated GOP attacks on the religious faith of Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman Al-Sayed, Stevens said: “Abdulrahman and his wonderful family.” “They are Muslim Americans who are very proud of their identity,” she added.

And Muslim Americans will vote too, right? I don't want to speak for anyone; All I can do is speak only for myself."

She said she was "confident that Mike (Rogers) is reaching out and working with members of the Muslim American community," describing the community as "one of our pride and joy here in Michigan." She continued, saying: “It is not anti-Muslim at all.

Here I am in a church, with my religious belief, speaking honestly to an audience. "I'm excited to see what Michigan voters decide."

For his part, El-Sayed downplayed Stevens' decision, and after asking reporters to focus questions on issues facing the people of his state, rather than talking about "two people who are not here now," El-Sayed was asked if he thought Stevens had betrayed her party. "At the end of the day, I'm not actually thinking about Hayley Stevens...," he responded.

In fact, I am less interested in the political side of things, and more interested in the public policy side.” While US President Donald Trump praised Stevens’ decision, writing on the Truth Social platform: “Haley said what many people hesitate to say.

She demonstrated great, almost unprecedented, loyalty to the great people of Michigan with what she did.” He added, “It is courage, and few have it, as Rep. Haley Stevens has shown.”

Trump also described Stevens as a "highly respected Democrat" with a broad fan base, adding that she is particularly respected by African Americans and Jews in Michigan. Republicans have intensified their focus on Al-Sayed's religious belief in the final weeks of one of the most important Senate races in the 2026 midterm elections.

At campaign rallies, US President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Al-Sayyid as “Muhammad” and falsely claimed that the former Democratic public health official was a “jihadist.” For his part, Rogers told the Ofoq News network earlier this month that he "never described Al-Sayed as a terrorist," stressing that he "does not speak on behalf of the president."

However, Rogers accused Al-Sayyid of allying with the Muslim Brotherhood, an accusation which Al-Sayyid has always denied.