El Sayed and Rogers hold final rallies in Michigan Senate race

Democrat Abdul El Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers held duelling campaign rallies on Monday evening on the eve of the midterm elections in the United States, Al Jazeera reported. The two candidates offered contrasting visions to Michigan voters in a hard-fought contest that could help determine control of the United States Congress. Al Jazeera added that opinion polls suggest the race has slipped further out of reach for the Republican Party. [1]

The final stretch of the race followed a high-profile endorsement switch by outgoing Democratic Representative Haley Stevens. The New York Times, BBC, Bloomberg, and Fox News all reported that Stevens abandoned El Sayed to endorse his Republican rival, Rogers. Fox News reported that Stevens stood beside Rogers at a Detroit church just five hours after telling Representative Debbie Dingell at midnight that reports of an impending endorsement were merely a rumor. [4][9][10][11]

Stevens defended her decision to switch her support to Rogers, as reported by the BBC, New York Post, and Fox News. The New York Post reported that Stevens pointed to El Sayed's obsessive fixation on Israel and called him anti-American to explain her last-minute endorsement. Fox News added that her decision was also tied to a stay-away order issued by the El Sayed campaign over the weekend. [4][7][9]

The endorsement created immediate friction among Michigan Democrats. Fox News and Bloomberg reported that a feud erupted within the state party over the endorsement. Fox News added that El Sayed held a subsequent rally following the endorsement, while online footage captured Stevens reacting to criticism over her decision to back the Republican nominee. [2][6][10]