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DETROIT — Trouble is mounting for Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as members of his own Democratic Party are lining up behind his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers.
And they’re advising fellow party members to consider voting a split ticket on Tuesday in order to spur Rogers to victory over their party’s own nominee.
“There are a number of people that don’t even know that they can split their ballot in the general election,” Democrat City Councilwoman Mary Waters told The Post in an interview.
“Please don’t feel as though that you cannot, if you liked Mike Rogers, that you cannot vote for him. You can, if you want to,” she said.
Waters played coy when asked which Senate candidate was getting her vote on Tuesday but her intentions were clear.
“I won’t say who I’ll be voting for, but I will be splitting my ticket,” she responded with a smirk.
The Democratic Party found itself in a state of shock on Sunday when Rep. Haley Stevens defected, endorsing Rogers over El-Sayed, who defeated her in August’s Senate primary.
Her announcement caught Democrats flat-footed, handing Republicans a big boost in their hopes to pick up a blue seat and cement their control of the upper chamber.
Stevens said her decision was based partly on El-Sayed’s obsession with Israel. El-Sayed, who is Muslim, has been very critical of Israel. Her fiancé, Jason Turkish, who is Jewish, has also been critical of El-Sayed’s criticism of the Jewish state. He endorsed Rogers a few days before Stevens did.
But their primary battle was indicative of a larger problem in the Democratic Party: the fight between the centrist wing and progressive side. And Michigan’s Senate race could prove prophetic of the upcoming 2028 presidential primary, as both wings battle to lead the party.
Stevens is not alone. Several other Democrats are also supporting Rogers, including former Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat turned Independent.
Manchin, a prominent moderate, called Rogers a “personal friend” during an interview with CNBC.
“I do support Mike Rogers,” the former senator from West Virginia said. “I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he’ll do a great job.”
Other Democratic endorsers include former Democratic Rep. Hansen Clarke, state Rep. Karen Whitsett, and prominent fundraiser David Kramer, the former finance chairman for Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Stevens.
“Haley Stevens is not the first one to do this. She may be the most prominent one,” Rogers said, who had praised Stevens’ “courage and bravery.”
“There are elected officials, a Democrat County Sheriff who said this guy’s position on defunding the police is so extreme, they can’t do it. The list continues,” he added. “This is a pattern. When you have that many people out on him, people start to listen.”
Stevens’ endorsement brought in a flood of national attention and a wave of fury at Stevens, a four-term lawmaker who represents the Detroit suburbs.
Rogers’ supporters, meanwhile, describe him as someone they can work with. Rogers, 63, served in the US House for almost 15 years and has deep political ties in the state. El-Sayed, 42, is relatively new to the political scene. His only other campaign is a failed bid for governor in 2018.
“He’s not egotistical,” Waters said of Rogers. “He’s the type of person that listens,” whereas El Sayed is “very headstrong.”
“I believe he’s so sensitive to the needs of the city of Detroit,” she said, describing herself as impressed after a meeting with Rogers.
“He has been embraced by people here in this city,” she added. “He wants those relationships. He’s working hard to earn the votes from the people here in the city of Detroit.”
The RealClearPolitics polling average has El-Sayed leading the Senate race by almost five points. But those polls were taken before the flood of Democratic endorsements for Rogers.
Early voting began in the state on October 24th but more than half the population has yet to cast a ballot, per Rogers insiders who believe Stevens’ backing could help sway more moderates on the fence.
About 2.3 million votes have already been cast in Michigan, according to the Election Lab, which tracks early voting across the nation. The state has about 8.4 million registered voters.
