Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., urged Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in Michigan's fierce Democratic primary election, to sever ties with controversial, far-left streamer Hasan Piker on "The Sunday Briefing," saying the party's nominee should now turn his attention toward Michigan voters as he pivots to the general election.
Stevens maintained her primary-season criticism of Piker even while backing El-Sayed, describing herself as still committed to the party.
"It certainly makes sense to get rid of this Hasan Piker affiliation," she said, also asserting that the Democratic plans for healthcare, democracy and Black-owned businesses are better than those of Republican Mike Rogers, who will oppose El-Sayed in the Senate race.
Asked whether El-Sayed had said or done anything other than winning the Democratic nomination to earn the support and assuage the concerns of groups that voted for Stevens, such as Jewish voters, Black voters or Reagan-era Democrats, Stevens pointed to her own good performance with those demographics, identifying herself as a Zionist Democrat and asserting that her party had room for all those communities.
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"I came really close [to winning the primary] and I'm still a Democrat. I'm still out here talking about my views and values. I want the people who share my views and values to feel safe and to feel heard in the Democratic Party."
The face-off to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who backed Stevens, is a must-win contest for Democrats and one of roughly a dozen general election Senate races expected to determine whether Republicans retain their narrow majority.
A new Fox News poll indicates that the progressive El-Sayed trails Republican candidate Mike Rogers by four points in the general election race, and that he is underperforming with Black voters, women and suburban voters compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Rogers and El-Sayed are set to face off in the swing state's Senate election on Nov. 3.
