Haley Stevens endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens has endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, breaking with her party and its nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, in the final days of the midterm campaign. The race is one of the contests that could decide control of the Senate.

BBC News reported that Stevens changed her position between Halloween night and Sunday morning, after previously backing El-Sayed, her former primary opponent. She was asked about her reasoning in a CNN interview and said she had had time to think and was following her heart, according to BBC News. She is due to leave Congress in two months.

BBC News reported that the split followed a public feud with El-Sayed over Israel and led to cancelled public appearances days before the election. It said many of her own staffers had resigned, including her chief of staff, who said the election was too important to sow division. El-Sayed, who hopes to become Michigan's first Muslim senator, said he was not thinking of Stevens but of voters' concerns in the final hours. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said the party was united against Rogers, calling him a tool of Donald Trump.

Both BBC News and Channel 4 linked the break to differences over Israel. Channel 4 reported that there have been accusations of anti-Semitism levelled at both Democrat and Republican campaign groups. It also reported that Republicans and President Trump had faced accusations of Islamophobia against El-Sayed.

BBC News reported that the latest polls put Democrats ahead in Michigan, one of the most important Senate races this year, but said the question was how far Stevens's move would affect voters who backed her in the primary.