Michigan Democrats El-Sayed and Stevens Grow Public Rift

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens have grown public tensions that some say distract from key issues. El-Sayed sidestepped questions about the drama and denounced an outside group’s controversial ad that has been central to the divisions.

Longtime Michigan lawmaker Debbie Dingell said she is the one who spoke to Stevens, amid reports that El-Sayed disinvited his former primary opponent. Dingell added that media coverage of tensions between the two Democrats is distracting from more critical issues, and that 'there’s nothing to be gained by the two of them being in the same place.'

El-Sayed said he did not agree with the contents of the controversial ad, which blames Americans’ struggles with high costs on US foreign aid for Israel. He added that his team had no involvement in the ad and that 'I just really don’t think any of this matters,' arguing that voters are more concerned with the cost of living than the dispute between the two Democrats.

Stevens has not participated in any of El-Sayed’s previous events in her home base of Oakland County — or anywhere else in the state. El-Sayed also hasn’t called Stevens in months, according to CNN reports. Nonetheless, Stevens has said she will be casting her ballot for El-Sayed come Tuesday.