Jason Turkish, who is engaged to U.S. Representative Haley Stevens from Michigan, has expressed his intention to support Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the upcoming Senate election on November 3.
A Jewish Democrat and disabilities attorney from Huntington Woods, Turkish narrowly witnessed Stevens lose the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed, with only a slight margin of about one percent between them. Turkish shared with The Detroit News that over the last three months, he has grown convinced that El-Sayed exhibits antisemitic tendencies, pointing to what he calls a dangerous shift in El-Sayed’s rhetoric since the primary.
According to Turkish, the escalating rhetoric by El-Sayed has raised safety concerns, stating, “Every time he talks about genocide (in Gaza), Jews get death threats.” He emphasized that such recklessness is unprecedented for a candidate like El-Sayed in the Senate.
Turkish expressed disappointment that El-Sayed could not bridge divisions over Israel within the party and highlighted troubling statements made by El-Sayed regarding Israel not being a U.S. ally. He noted El-Sayed’s reluctance in an October debate to indicate which country, Iran or Israel, poses a more significant threat to the U.S.
He further criticized El-Sayed’s response to a controversial advertisement perceived as scapegoating Israel and Jews for various socioeconomic challenges. Although El-Sayed distanced himself from the ad, he did not explicitly reject its implications or call for its removal.
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SCOOP: Haley Stevens' fiancé says he's voting for Mike Rogers for Senate over Abdul El-Sayed https://t.co/Rz4GkOva9g
via @nannburke & @detroitnews
— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) October 28, 2026
Additionally, Turkish referenced ongoing fundraising efforts that link El-Sayed to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and his past associations with streamer Hasan Piker.
In his remarks, Turkish characterized his choice as “putting country before party.” While he may not agree with Rogers on all issues, Turkish believes in Rogers’ patriotism and commitment to ensuring the safety of Jewish communities.
He told The Detroit News that he participated in a Republican Jewish Coalition forum supporting Rogers in Birmingham on October 28. Turkish has previously provided financial support to candidates from both parties, having contributed over $200,000 to Democratic Party campaigns this election cycle.
Turkish is not alone; David Kramer, former chairman of Stevens’s Senate campaign, also announced his decision to back Rogers this week. He described his vote for Rogers as a statement against El-Sayed while maintaining Democratic allegiance in other races.
In the primary, El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens, who had backing from high-profile Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Senator Gary Peters.
Stevens, after the primary, endorsed El-Sayed, expressing pride in supporting him against Rogers. However, she has since refrained from campaigning alongside him following a previously held unity event.
