2.3 Million Michiganders Have Voted as Party Leaders React to Stevens Defection

More than 2.3 million Michigan voters have already cast ballots as of Monday, a figure that shapes the final days of the state’s closely watched Senate race. The early vote total comes after a dramatic shift in party alignment on Sunday, when Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers. The endorsement forced Stevens out of the state Democratic Party and sent her former allies scrambling to refocus the campaign ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed addressed the situation Monday morning at Eastern Michigan University. He did not mention the controversy in his speech. Instead, he focused on the voters. Asked about the impact of Stevens’ defection, El-Sayed urged supporters to go to the polls. He said there was only one way to control the outcome. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and El-Sayed’s grandparents joined him at the rally.

For the Republican side, the endorsement represented a major win. Rogers personally contacted Stevens over the weekend, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions. Rogers’ own staff did not know about the planned joint appearance at Perfecting Church until Sunday morning. They learned of the endorsement only after it was posted online. The campaign began touting the support to voters on Monday.

Democrats view the defection as a sign of lingering tension. El-Sayed defeated Stevens by approximately 14,000 votes in the August primary. That contest featured disagreements over Israel and the war in Gaza. Party leaders have worked for weeks to unite the base behind El-Sayed, particularly among Jewish and Black voters who strongly supported Stevens. The endorsement exposed those divisions.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said the event would energize the Democratic base. He noted that the party did not believe the endorsement would change the final results. El-Sayed raised $2.4 million on Sunday, marking his largest fundraising day of the campaign. The state party reported a surge in volunteers willing to knock on doors.

Lori Goldman, a longtime Democratic organizer in Oakland County, said that while about half the state has voted, the drama could still influence the remaining electorate. Debbie Rosenman, who leads Democratic organizations in southeast Michigan, described the mood among local supporters as one of fury. She said many felt betrayed by Stevens. The anger translated into action at campaign offices, where volunteers showed up without prior sign-up. Organizers had to move literature between locations to meet the demand for canvassing assignments.

The split followed a planned unity event that Stevens and El-Sayed were expected to attend. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a senior Democratic figure, said she uninvited Stevens because their disputes had become distracting. Stevens walked into a Detroit church with Rogers on Sunday morning and announced her support for the Republican candidate shortly after. Dingell called Stevens’ later interview remarks painful to watch. The regular early in-person voting period ended on Sunday, and polls reopen statewide on Tuesday.