Full Breakdown
Progressive Democrats Slam Haley Stevens for Not Endorsing Abdul El-Sayed
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Stevens' TV Remarks Spark Backlash
During a weekend appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” former congressional candidate Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, said she was “on the team” but declined to give an explicit endorsement of Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Progressives quickly condemned the response, arguing that a full-throated endorsement was needed to help flip the Senate.
Background & Context: Michigan Primary and Party Dynamics
In the Michigan Democratic Senate primary earlier this year, El-Sayed won 48.5% of the vote to Stevens’ 47.5%, a margin of about 1 percentage point after fellow Democrat Mallory McMorrow withdrew and contributed roughly 4 % of the total. Stevens had been the establishment-backed candidate, receiving support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats, while El-Sayed was backed by “Squad” members such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Official Statements & Responses
No comment was obtained from Stevens after the online backlash.
Criticism & Opposition
Progressive activists argued that Stevens’ non-committal stance jeopardized a pivotal Senate vote. Commentator Mehdi Hasan labeled the refusal to endorse a “hypocritical centrist lie” that could hurt Democrats in future elections.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ridiculous. For all the folks still pretending El-Sayed’s race is the same as [Roy Cooper’s] or [Mary Peltola’s], do they have former Dem rivals refusing to fully endorse them on national TV? ‘Blue no matter who’ was a hypocritical centrist lie and this hypocrisy may hurt Dems in 2028,” — Mehdi Hasan
- “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.” — Alaska. Leah Greenberg, who leads the progressive activist group Indivisible