Key facts
- Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after their August 4 primary.
- Stevens has been seen in public appearances, including with her fiancé and on "TMZ Live."
- Stevens stated El-Sayed is building a "new coalition."
Representative Haley Stevens, who lost her Senate primary on August 4, has been highly visible in public appearances since her defeat. She has met with the Dalai Lama, appeared on "TMZ Live" with her fiancé, and was spoofed on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." However, Stevens has not been seen campaigning alongside her former rival, Abdul El-Sayed, despite quickly endorsing him after the primary. This absence is becoming more noticeable as the Senate contest nears its end, with some of Stevens' former supporters reportedly resisting backing El-Sayed. In an interview, Stevens commented that El-Sayed is building a "new coalition" and suggested it is not her role to pressure her more skeptical supporters to join it. El-Sayed has sought endorsements from prominent Black Democrats like former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, though polls indicate he is trailing Stevens among Black voters in Michigan. Stevens also has the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and Governor Gretchen Whitmer.