POLITICO Playbook Podcast: Haley Stevens' Rogers Endorsement Caps a 'Bizarre' Midterm Cycle

POLITICO's Playbook Podcast opened the final full day before the Nov. 3 midterm elections by focusing on what its hosts framed as an unusual campaign season, capped by Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan endorsing Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers. The Monday, Nov. 2, episode, titled "Haley Stevens caps a bizarre midterm cycle," was hosted by Playbook co-authors Will Steakin and Adam Wren and runs about 18 minutes, according to its Apple Podcasts listing.

The episode description says, "The polls point to a Democratic wave, but neither party seems to believe them," and that "the final days of campaigning have taken a bizarre turn with Rep. Haley Stevens making a surprise endorsement for Mike Rogers." The Playbook newsletter published the same morning said the hosts would "walk listeners through the twisty final days of campaign season, plus the latest on U.S.-Canada trade talks and Sen. Chris Murphy's health."

What the hosts discussed

According to a transcript of the episode, Steakin listed developments from the cycle that included the primary-season scandal involving Graham Platner in Maine, the appearance of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race, redistricting fights in several states, unexpected competitiveness in Kansas and Iowa, Democratic weakness in Michigan, and what he described as polling overconfidence at a time when both major parties are deeply unpopular. Wren said POLITICO's reporting had been at the center of several of those stories, and that Stevens had signaled for weeks where she was headed before her late reversal.

That morning's Playbook newsletter, co-written by Steakin, Wren and Dasha Burns, reported that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Stevens and urged her to reconsider amid rumors she would withdraw her endorsement of Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Playbook reported, "After a 25-minute phone call Stevens told the progressive star she was still on the team," and that in text messages reviewed by Playbook, Stevens told Ocasio-Cortez she thought she "did the right thing." The newsletter also reported that Stevens had told Playbook last Monday, "Nobody wants the Democratic Party to feel like an exclusive club." It said Stevens did not respond to several requests for comment Sunday evening.

The endorsement

Stevens, who narrowly lost the August Democratic primary to El-Sayed, endorsed Rogers on Sunday, Nov. 1, after attending a service with him at Perfecting Church in Detroit, CBS News and ABC News reported. In a video posted to social media, she said, "Our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he's right," adding, "And that's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today."

The move followed a public dispute over an ad from an outside group that Stevens said was antisemitic, NBC News reported. CBS News identified the ad as coming from Rebellion PAC and reported that El-Sayed said his campaign did not produce it and that he does not agree with it. El-Sayed had accused Stevens of being "intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago," according to NBC News, which also reported that El-Sayed's campaign had asked her to no longer attend campaign events. Stevens had been expected to appear with El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina at a unity event on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after the endorsement, Stevens said that "90% of the votes I'm going to cast are going to be for Democrats," ABC News reported. Rogers said he was "honored to have Haley Stevens' support," according to POLITICO's news report on the endorsement, and described the move as "more a statement about standing together against hate and the future of this state and the future of this country than it is anything else." El-Sayed told reporters, "I actually don't think about Haley Stevens."

Reaction from party leaders

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who backed Stevens in the primary, wrote on social media, "This is a despicable betrayal from Rep. Stevens." Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel wrote on X that Stevens "is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future," NBC News reported. POLITICO reported that several members of Stevens' team, including her chief of staff of eight years, Justin German, resigned Sunday morning.

President Donald Trump praised Stevens on Truth Social, writing that she "showed great and almost unprecedented loyalty to the Great People of Michigan with what she did," according to CBS News. Republican National Committee spokesperson Hunter Lovell said in a statement reported by POLITICO that "Democrats who feel Abdul has abandoned them have a home with Mike."

POLITICO's Inside Congress newsletter reported on Monday that eight House Democrats said they want Stevens removed from the caucus or otherwise punished. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "Haley Stevens made a terrible decision, blindsided everyone and isolated herself from the House Democratic caucus. We will have a discussion about appropriate next steps upon our return."

Election-eve context

The winner of Tuesday's Michigan race will succeed Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is not seeking another term, according to NBC News. Playbook reported that a final batch of New York Times/Siena polls found Democrats leading in all seven toss-up Senate races, outside the margin of error in Michigan and Texas.

The same newsletter said the final POLITICO Poll before Election Day found about 1 in 8 voters are certain to cast a ballot but have not settled on a choice. Playbook also reported that Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, suffered a stroke and was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins over the weekend. POLITICO plans live election-night coverage beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, with Steakin and Wren among the participants, according to the episode and the newsletter.