El-Sayed Campaign Bars Stevens Amid Party Rift

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign asked Rep. Haley Stevens, his former primary opponent, to stay away from campaign events, including a planned appearance at a Detroit church, deepening a party rift days before the election. The dispute intensified after Stevens urged El-Sayed to condemn an outside-group ad linking U.S. support for Israel to Michigan families’ high costs; El-Sayed accused her of relitigating the primary and criticized outside spending on her behalf. The infighting threatens Democratic efforts to unite behind El-Sayed as he faces Republican Mike Rogers in a closely watched race for an open Senate seat. Rogers and Sen. Ted Cruz have amplified allegations that El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and could pose a national-security risk if given access to classified intelligence; Cruz warned Americans could die if the allegations were true but offered no evidence that El-Sayed would disclose intelligence. El-Sayed has denied membership or ties to the group and says he intends to serve the United States; the candidates have also clashed over health care, cost-of-living issues, their records and Rogers’ support for Trump.