Politics
Stevens’ Endorsement Switch Sparks Outrage Over Fiancé’s Influence
By Eric Bradner, Patrick Svitek, Sarah Ferris
Late last fall, Michigan congresswoman Haley Stevens stopped using social media. She told her Democratic Senate campaign staff to send her important news, hoping to avoid distractions from mean‑spirited comments about her appearance or mannerisms. Jason Turkish, a lawyer and donor who would later become Stevens’ fiancé, did not heed the instruction. Three former campaign staffers said Turkish frequently sent Stevens texts containing posts that mocked her looks, speaking cadence, policy positions, and support for Israel. One top aide described the effect as, “He would wind her up, and then we’d have to wind her down.” Turkish’s involvement was one of several examples of his influence during the Senate race, which ended with Stevens losing the Democratic primary in August by less than a percentage point to progressive Abdul El‑Sayed.
Tensions between a candidate’s staff and family members are common, but most frustrations with Turkish were kept private. Stevens’ Sunday decision to drop her post‑primary endorsement of El‑Sayed and instead endorse Republican nominee Mike Rogers—after appearing at a Detroit church with Rogers and Turkish—ignited Democratic anger at the fiancé. Turkish had told reporters he was voting for Rogers days before Stevens did. Former adviser Caitlin Legacki posted on X that “Jason is vaporizing Haley’s future so that he can be a main character in this moment and it is sad to watch her participate in that.”
Stevens insists Turkish had no role in her decision. On Monday night she posted a statement on X criticizing what she called “sexism dressed up as political analysis” and affirmed her independence. Turkish, in a CNN interview, said he and Stevens had spent thousands of hours together over two years and that he had not felt the desire to run to the press about any campaign matters after the primary.
Stevens has acknowledged that her political career may be over, telling The Free Press she is “exiting stage left.” She has been effectively removed from the Michigan Democratic Party, her name erased from its website, and Washington lawmakers are discussing whether she should be expelled from the House Democratic caucus for her final months in office.
Turkish is a legally blind disability‑rights lawyer, president and managing partner at Nyman Turkish, and a prolific political donor. He has contributed over $200,000 in federal contributions this election cycle, much of it to Michigan Democrats, but also to Senator John Fetterman and Senator Susan Collins. He describes himself as a lifelong Democrat.
Stevens and Turkish became engaged during the Senate primary, announcing the engagement on August 26, about three weeks after her loss to El‑Sayed. Sources who worked on Stevens’ campaign said Turkish had poor political instincts and little understanding of campaign operations. He had asked to take over management of her online fundraising platform and had urged her to open a debate with an “Aaron Sorkin‑style soliloquy” defending Israel.
Several former staffers said Turkish would berate and belittle staff, and that he sometimes sat in on fundraising calls while accompanying Stevens to Washington. After Stevens told staff she and Turkish were engaged, she and several staffers asked him to limit direct communications to the campaign manager and chief of staff, but he did not comply. One former staffer described him as “extremely overbearing, controlling, arrogant— a misogynistic personality.”
In response to criticism, Turkish provided CNN with emails showing lower‑level staffers had included him in planning meetings and pointed to Meta spending reports that showed Stevens’ campaign spent a small fraction of what El‑Sayed’s and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s campaigns spent on the platform.
After Stevens endorsed Rogers, former Rep. Susan Wild and University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker criticized Turkish’s behavior. Former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard told Gongwer News Service that at a dinner with Stevens, Turkish was “working her over,” urging her to be gracious after her primary loss. Turkish disputed this recollection, saying he was honored to celebrate their engagement.
Turkish has offered backhanded praise for El‑Sayed, describing him as “brilliant” and “eloquent.” After announcing support for Rogers, he attended a Republican Jewish Coalition event featuring Rogers and Sen. Ted Cruz, who praised him as a “very impressive guy” and noted he remains a passionate Democrat.
Turkish has remained close to Stevens, joining her in a Detroit church pew on the Sunday she first appeared with Rogers and standing off‑screen when she visited TMZ’s headquarters in Los Angeles. The story has been updated to include new comments from Jason Turkish.