Michigan lawyer breaks with party to vote for Republican senator

Jason Turkish, a Michigan lawyer and registered Democrat, will vote for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the general election. Turkish, who is engaged to Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., made his decision public at a campaign event hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan, on Wednesday night.

Turkish told reporters in a video shared by The Detroit News that he waited for El-Sayed to moderate his positions during the campaign. "I waited, and I watched and I listened for Abdul to moderate, but he didn't moderate, he escalated," Turkish said. He described El-Sayed's rhetoric as worsening as the election approached, arguing that the candidate has driven communities further apart instead of bringing them together.

The break in the Stevens camp follows a primary loss for the representative this summer. Stevens defeated El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, but she has continued to support him for the Senate seat. She described her household as divided but stated her preference for the Democratic nominee to win. "I still very much want our Democratic nominee, his name is Abdul, to win this race," Stevens told CNN. She cited the high stakes of the race as her reason for holding the line.

Turkish, a donor to both parties, framed his choice as putting country before party. He criticized El-Sayed's use of the word "genocide" to describe the war in Gaza, arguing that the term makes his community less safe. "When he says genocide over and over again.. he makes my community less safe," Turkish said. He also pointed to El-Sayed's refusal to distance himself from streamer Hasan Piker, who had previously claimed America deserved the 9/11 attacks.

El-Sayed has maintained his criticism of Israel, labeling the Gaza conflict a genocide. Israel counters that it is fighting terrorists who use civilians as human shields and that it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties. Turkish said that El-Sayed's stance has led to death threats against Jews and that the candidate has acted recklessly toward their safety.

Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee, spoke at the same Wednesday night event where Turkish announced his support. Rogers did not mention Turkish by name in his remarks but criticized El-Sayed's understanding of U.S. foreign policy. "This is not someone we can let into the United States Senate," Rogers said. He added that a candidate who does not know Iran is an enemy or cannot condemn a Hezbollah-inspired attack has no business serving in the Senate.

Turkish is the second prominent figure from Stevens' circle to switch support to Rogers in recent days. Attorney David Kramer, who served as Stevens' campaign chair, said Tuesday that he also plans to vote for Rogers. Stevens endorsed El-Sayed after the primary but has not appeared with him publicly since a unity breakfast held shortly after the vote.

The race is scheduled for general election day in November. Both candidates have continued their campaigns across the state, with Rogers emphasizing experience and El-Sayed focusing on his record as a former surgeon and governor candidate. Turkish's vote represents a shift among some Democratic donors and activists who feel the primary result did not fully reflect the state's political leanings.