Fiance of Democratic Representative Endorses Republican in Michigan Senate Race

Jason Turkish, a Jewish donor and fiance of Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, announced on Wednesday that he will vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate election. The Washington Examiner and the New York Post both report that Turkish accused Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed of rhetoric that endangers the Jewish community. The New York Post added that Turkish has previously donated over $300,000 to Democratic causes. [1][2][6][7]

The Washington Examiner reported that Turkish criticized El-Sayed for his association with political streamer Hasan Piker. The New York Post noted that Turkish also pointed to a debate in which El-Sayed declined to say whether Iran or Israel presented a larger threat to the United States. Meanwhile, CNN reported that El-Sayed and Stevens have not campaigned together or spoken in recent months. [1][2][3]

Stevens serves as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 11th congressional district. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Stevens lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed in August and later endorsed him for the general election. Rogers is a Republican former congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015. He and El-Sayed are competing for the Senate seat held by retiring Senator Gary Peters. [9][10][12]

The endorsement comes as CBS News reports that El-Sayed holds a 7 point lead over Rogers in the latest Michigan Senate poll. [5]