Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign says it has raised a record amount of money and secured high-profile liberal backing from figures including Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen as the Michigan contest enters its final stretch.
The progressive former public health official has become one of the defining figures of the midterm elections after his primary rival, Haley Stevens, switched her support Sunday to Republican candidate Mike Rogers.
Stevens’ decision has triggered an increasingly bitter Democratic feud, with a series of follow-up statements aimed at El-Sayed. At the same time, several of the party’s most prominent activists and donors have rallied around the nominee.
The Abdul for Senate campaign reported raising $2.4 million on Sunday—the same day Stevens appeared with Rogers at a church event and endorsed him. The campaign said it was its strongest fundraising day by a wide margin.
More than 65,000 people contributed, giving an average of roughly $36. It was also El-Sayed’s best fundraising performance since he won the Democratic primary in August.
“This record-breaking grassroots fundraising haul is a testament to the excitement that Abdul’s movement has inspired in the hearts of Michiganders—and a rejection of the status quo politics that’s left Michigan behind for far too long,” campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak said.
El-Sayed also received a major celebrity endorsement after Stevens’ defection, when rock icon Bruce Springsteen publicly declared his support.
“Dr. El-Sayed is a fighter for our American Constitution, he’s a fighter for our American Democracy, and he’s a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House. That’s why I’m in his corner 100 percent,” Springsteen wrote on social media.
Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it has set a fundraising record while winning endorsements from high-profile liberals including Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen.
The progressive former public health official has dominated headlines after primary rival Haley Stevens switched her support Sunday to Republican Mike Rogers.
Democratic stars line up behind El-Sayed
Springsteen has long been one of the Democratic Party’s most visible celebrity supporters and has endorsed candidates across the party in numerous elections.
Jane Fonda also backed El-Sayed through her environmental political action committee, Jane Fonda Climate PAC, while taking an apparent swipe at Stevens.
“Unlike some people today, we are focused on taking back the Senate. Jane is proud to stand with @abdulelsayed! Let’s get money out of politics, put money back in your pocket, and pass Medicare for All,” she wrote.
Hillary Clinton, the party’s presidential nominee a decade ago, likewise voiced support for El-Sayed during several interviews Monday.
Speaking to CNN, Clinton said she was baffled by Stevens’ actions and suggested the fallout could ultimately benefit El-Sayed.
“I have no idea what her thinking was. If it has any impact, I think it will end up helping Abdul,” she said.
Clinton drew on her own experience of bruising primary campaigns against Barack Obama in 2008 and Bernie Sanders in 2016.
“Everybody who runs for office, who doesn’t make it is going to feel disappointed, maybe hurt, even a little angry. But you got to put that behind you and get together in order to beat what is a huge danger to our future. And that’s what should have happened here.”
El-Sayed gained a powerful celebrity supporter after Stevens’ defection when Bruce Springsteen publicly endorsed the Democratic nominee.
Jane Fonda also endorsed El-Sayed through her environmental PAC while appearing to criticize Stevens’ decision.
CNN interview intensifies controversy over Stevens’ endorsement
The Daily Mail has contacted the El-Sayed campaign for comment on the latest endorsements.
Stevens’ dramatic reversal has provoked anger throughout the Democratic Party. Senior lawmakers have criticized her move, members of her staff have resigned and President Donald Trump has welcomed the decision.
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Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell said Stevens had assured her Saturday night that she would not endorse Rogers.
By the next morning, however, Stevens was appearing with the Republican at Detroit’s Perfecting Church instead of joining El-Sayed on the campaign trail.
During a tense CNN interview late Sunday, host Anderson Cooper asked Stevens what had changed in the space of a single night. She responded: “I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart and that’s that.”
As the exchange grew more confrontational, Stevens suggested that Cooper was upset with her.
“You’re not really answering any of my questions, so it’s somewhat frustrating,” Cooper replied.
Stevens later defended the reversal in a lengthy Monday night post on X. She accused Democrats of intolerance, criticized El-Sayed and strongly rejected claims that her fiancé had played a role in her decision.
Hillary Clinton, once the Democratic Party’s presidential standard-bearer, voiced support for El-Sayed in several interviews Monday.
Stevens faces mounting criticism from Democrats
The statement, titled “The Decisions We Make,” followed the highly criticized CNN interview in which Cooper repeatedly pressed Stevens to explain her sudden change of position.
Republicans welcomed the episode. Trump called Stevens a “Highly Respected Democrat” and said he hoped she might eventually join the Republican Party.
Democrats, however, reacted far more harshly.
Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel accused Stevens of abandoning her principles. Dingell called the CNN appearance “one of the most painful interviews I have watched.”
Stevens’ longtime chief of staff also resigned, saying: “We are shocked and heartbroken.”
Despite the backlash, Stevens concluded her statement by saying she still intended to help rebuild the Democratic Party—the same party whose Senate nominee she had just abandoned.
“There is healing to be done in Michigan, in our party, and in our country,” she wrote.
“We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort.”
Republican candidate Mike Rogers, 63, has sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Michigan Senate contest takes an unexpected turn
El-Sayed, 42, is seeking to become the first Muslim senator in American history and has emerged as a prime target for Republicans.
Trump has attacked him repeatedly, at one point labeling him a “jihadist.” Rogers, 63, has also attempted to associate the Democrat with the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed has rejected any connection to the group and publicly disavowed it. He has also faced criticism over his links to controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
The Cook Report, an influential election analysis outlet, had previously classified the race as a toss-up and said no state was causing Democrats more “heartburn” than Michigan.
By late Monday, however, the outlet had shifted its assessment to “Lean D” as part of a broader forecast predicting that Democrats could gain between three and six Senate seats.
