Support from Democrat to Republican in Michigan shakes up race for US Senate on the eve of the election

Democratic Representative Haley Stevens withdrew her support for Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race and switched to supporting Republican Mike Rogers. The decision shook the Democratic Party just days before the election and placed one of the country's key battleground states at the center of the race for control of the Senate, according to Fox Business coverage.

In the opinion of presenter Bret Baier, the change could change the dispute: "But could it move the needle? Maybe." He pointed out that much of the Michigan electorate has already voted, which limits the scope of any last-minute reversal.

Record participation in early voting

According to the numbers cited in the program, early voting, by mail and in person, reached almost 2 million in Michigan, with 1.8 million counted at 6 am on the day. In comparison with 2022, the year in which Gretchen Whitmer was running for re-election, the total at that time was 930 thousand votes.

Baier said Michigan has already surpassed the turnout of the 2018 midterm elections, which he described as the highest in the country in that format. For the presenter, the movement shows the size of the interest in the dispute.

Reaction from the Democratic Party

The Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, released a statement in which he called Stevens' attitude a "despicable betrayal" and said that Democrats make racist and Islamophobic attacks on El-Sayed. For Baier, criticizing him would be Islamophobia, which he classified as a "quite exaggerated" stance. He also said that, in his assessment, the party is "going crazy".

Presenter Dana Perino stated that Stevens had to swallow a lot throughout the campaign. According to her, Jewish voters in Michigan question what they are doing there and say that El-Sayed is not an option for them. Dana also cited an advertisement, which she described as anti-Semitic, and said that El-Sayed's campaign did not agree to specifically condemn him, despite Stevens' request.

In last night's interview, El-Sayed was asked whether Israel has a right to exist and replied yes, "if there is a shared understanding." Dana assessed that the response did not give Stevens a reason to return to his campaign. Baier said that the deputy made the decision based on principles and that the party condemns it.

What's at stake in the Senate

Baier assessed that Michigan may or may not be decisive. He recalled that Republicans won handily in Nebraska and Kansas two years ago and that they could win again, albeit with a different margin. According to him, the election should be close, with some states very close despite the polls, and several swing states could define the balance of power in the US Senate.

Dana assessed that President Donald Trump helped Republicans in the last month by mobilizing voters. The presenters also cited the money spent on the cycle, which reached US$12.7 billion, according to the program. For those who follow the market, the outcome in the Senate defines the government's ability to approve its agenda, which usually influences the debate on taxes and public spending.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.