Stevens Stops Short of Full Endorsement of El-Sayed

Rep. Haley Stevens said she remains on the Democratic ticket but cannot agree with everything Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has done, stopping short of an unequivocal public endorsement during a CNN interview as she criticized his response to a debate question about Iran and Israel. Asked whether she was still on the team, Stevens said she was. She also said she was focused on supporting other Democratic candidates, including gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and House candidates. The exchange drew attention to the relationship between Stevens and El-Sayed, who defeated her in the August Democratic primary. Stevens criticized El-Sayed’s handling of a debate question asking whether Iran or Israel posed a greater threat to the United States. El-Sayed had rejected the premise and said both countries had demonstrated dangers in different ways. Stevens said the discussion should have focused more on President Donald Trump and added that Iran was clearly an enemy of the United States. Stevens also said she had encouraged arranging a speech to address concerns in Michigan’s Black community, but the event did not happen. She had previously endorsed El-Sayed after the...