Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign says it pulled in more than $2.4 million in a single day, a figure the campaign is calling a record for the race in the closing stretch before Michigan voters head to the polls.
According to the campaign, Sunday’s haul came from more than 65,000 donors who gave an average of $36.74 each. Nearly 29,600 of those contributors were giving to the campaign for the first time.
The surge followed a weekend announcement from Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who lost to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary earlier this year, that she is endorsing Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers.
“Hey Michigan, as you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away and he’s right. And that’s why I’m endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” Stevens said in a video posted to X.
Stevens said she remains “a very proud Democrat” who loves Michigan but could not support El-Sayed, pointing to his backing from left-wing political streamer Hasan Piker as a reason for her decision.
El-Sayed campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak linked the fundraising numbers directly to the endorsement fallout. “As Michiganders head to the polls, the momentum behind Abdul’s campaign has never been stronger,” Wozniak said in a statement.
Democratic Leaders React
Stevens’ move drew sharp criticism from within her own party. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “a despicable betrayal” and said Senate Democrats remain united behind El-Sayed. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Stevens had “abandoned everything she claims to care about.”
El-Sayed himself downplayed the episode. Speaking to reporters Sunday, he said he doesn’t think about Stevens or Rogers and is focused on voters and policy.
El-Sayed has worked in recent months to put distance between his campaign and Piker, whose national profile has grown alongside scrutiny of past remarks, including antisemitic comments and a claim that “America deserved 9/11.”
The people of Michigan that vote for him are going to learn the hard way that socialism doesn’t work no police higher taxes and more criminals on the streets.