Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign has asked former primary rival Rep. Haley Stevens to stay away from campaign events during the closing days of Michigan’s closely watched Senate race, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The request comes as the two Democrats clash over a controversial campaign advertisement that critics have called antisemitic. The lingering [1] fight has complicated the party’s final push before Election Day.
The source confirmed to NewsNation that El-Sayed’s campaign does not want Stevens attending campaign events before voters head to the polls. According to the source, the campaign wants to prevent continuing arguments about the advertisement from distracting from its closing message.
The dispute centers on a recent advertisement linking support for Israel with rising grocery prices. Jewish groups and political opponents criticized the message, placing El-Sayed under pressure as the campaign entered its final days.
Stevens has argued that El-Sayed failed to condemn the advertisement forcefully enough. She has also demanded that he apologize for previous comments that she contends reflected the same argument presented in the advertisement.
“The ad did not invent its argument; it dramatized one Dr. El-Sayed has made in his own words throughout this campaign: that Israel is the reason Michigan cannot afford schools, healthcare, and child care,” Stevens said in a statement.
Stevens then directly called for an apology from the Democratic nominee. “I therefore expect him to apologize for those statements as well.”
On the eve of the eve of the eve of our BIG and important election, a unifying moment has arrived, our democratic nominee for U.S Senate disavows the Rebellion PAC ad made by Hasan Piker’s uncle that claims Jews are responsible for America’s economic woes. We have learned from party leaders and emissaries, as reported in the news media that he has.
On Sunday I will join with the Great Democratic leader, Jim Clyburn and Dr El Sayed for a church service in the beautiful city of Detroit.
The political coalition of Black and Jewish voices that have carried Michigan and this country through so many storms to the righteous path of liberal democracy and equal opportunity for all will ring out. Full statement here:
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) October 30, 2026 [2]
El-Sayed rejected Stevens’ criticism and accused the congresswoman of reviving divisions from a Democratic primary that concluded three months ago. His response attempted to move attention back toward Republican candidate Mike Rogers and the broader general election campaign.
“So while Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago, let’s all focus on the task at hand: that’s beating Mike Rogers, holding Trump accountable, and getting money out of politics,” El-Sayed said in a statement posted to X.
https://t.co/NEd1uijz11
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) October 30, 2026 [3]
Support for Israel had been a major issue during the Democratic primary between El-Sayed and Stevens. Groups supporting Israel backed Stevens and spent millions on the contest, but El-Sayed ultimately secured the Democratic Senate nomination.
Stevens endorsed El-Sayed immediately after losing the primary. Despite that endorsement, tensions between the former rivals have returned in recent weeks as Republicans work to attract Jewish voters dissatisfied with the Democratic nominee.
The political dispute grew more personal after Stevens’ fiancé publicly announced that he planned to vote for Rogers instead of El-Sayed. Stevens’ fiancé is Jewish.
Earlier this week, Stevens said she expected to appear with El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn at an event at a Detroit church. That anticipated joint appearance placed the former rivals on course to campaign together despite their disagreement over the advertisement.
Whether the church appearance will still happen is now unclear. The uncertainty follows the El-Sayed campaign’s request that Stevens avoid events during the final stretch of the Senate race.
The clash leaves El-Sayed attempting to close the campaign against Rogers while facing public criticism from a prominent Democrat who previously competed against him for the nomination. Stevens, meanwhile, has continued pressing him to apologize for statements she says echoed the advertisement’s message.
With Election Day approaching, the campaign has made its preference clear through its request that Stevens remain away from final events. The dispute over Israel, grocery prices, and El-Sayed’s response continues to hang over the Democratic campaign’s closing effort.