The Michigan Senate race got a big shake-up over the weekend when Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) changed her mind and decided to endorse the Republican nominee Mike Rogers, instead of her party’s nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.
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That was big news. But she wasn’t the only one to flip, as we reported. There was another Democrat, former U.S. House Representative Hansen Clarke, and his wife, Choi Clarke, also came out for Rogers.
But the run wasn’t done yet. There was Democrat Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters.
Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters says Harris and Obama cannot save Abdul El-Sayed’s standing with black voters:
“Some Detroiters have said, ‘Listen, if Kamala Harris walked down the street holding his hand, I still would not vote for him.’” pic.twitter.com/xXw1ClAxtR
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 1, 2026
She noted some of the issues that the black community has with El-Sayed there: “Some would not vote for him if he walked down the street holding Kamala Harris’ hand,” and that the Obama/Kamala endorsement might sway a few people, but she said, “I can think for myself.”
Waters counseled people that they could split their ticket if they wanted to vote for Mike Rogers.
“There are a number of people that don’t even know that they can split their ballot in the general election,” Democrat City Councilwoman Mary Waters told The Post in an interview.
“Please don’t feel as though that you cannot, if you liked Mike Rogers, that you cannot vote for him. You can, if you want to,” she said.
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Waters played a bit coy, refusing to say specifically who she would be voting for, but you could probably guess. “I won’t say who I’ll be voting for, but I will be splitting my ticket,” she said, with a smile to The Post.
She noted how El-Sayed talks about Medicare for All, but “someone’s got to pay for that,” and that there were more practical, achievable needs that they needed to address that she and Rogers had spoken about.
Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters (D-MI) BLASTS Abdul El-Sayed pic.twitter.com/G6ErG0Jq2C
— DSA Watch (@DSA_Watch) November 3, 2026
She warned about the socialists’ scare tactics, and said you needed to have someone who could work with President Donald Trump.
DSA uses ‘scare tactics’, Democrat Detroit City Councilwoman warns Michigan voters on socialist’s strategy to gain voters https://t.co/DDOWRacQRD
— New York Post (@nypost) November 2, 2026
Waters also had positive things to say about Rogers.
“He’s not egotistical,” Waters said of Rogers. “He’s the type of person that listens,” whereas El Sayed is “very headstrong.”
“I believe he’s so sensitive to the needs of the city of Detroit,” she said, describing herself as impressed after a meeting with Rogers.
“He has been embraced by people here in this city,” she added. “He wants those relationships. He’s working hard to earn the votes from the people here in the city of Detroit.”
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She’s clearly focused on city, state, country, and getting the best results for her constituents.
So El-Sayed has a lot he should worry about. Waters is vocal, but then there are also the people she’s giving voice to.
In addition to the Democrats mentioned so far, Rogers also pulled in former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who said he supported Rogers, that he was a “personal friend,” was “a good person,” and that he thought “he’ll do a great job.”
So El-Sayed can act like the Democrats fleeing/rejecting/having his number don’t matter. But I suspect we’ll find out on Tuesday that, in fact, they do.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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