Haley Stevens, the Michigan congresswoman who recently made headlines for endorsing Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, joined Rogers at a church in Detroit on Sunday morning. Stevens had initially been backing Abdul El-Sayed, her former primary opponent. The two had soured on each other. That ultimately pushed her to make the switch.As per a report shared by CNN, Stevens spoke with anchor Anderson Cooper on Sunday, hours after the news broke. She made it clear she wasn’t going back on her decision. She told Cooper that“My mind is made up, I’m rock solid. I’m an independent woman, I made my decision.”“I still love my party a whole lot,” she added.(The endorsement is Stevens’ individual political decision and the publication is sharing all relevant opinions for better reporting.)Bravo star Lea Black has more than 400,000 followers on Threads. She took to the platform on Sunday to weigh in on the news. As per a post shared by Black on Threads, she had a few words for Haley Stevens, sharing that“Bitter. Attention seeking. Loser.”(These are Lea Black's personal words; the publication does not endorse or share this characterization of Stevens.)Source: https://www.threads.com/@leablackmiami/post/DfNNvnYkTu_?xmt=AQG0dQzQ6V6TXYRYmgwJLoJMCrkXYo9Jv6A4a53qlOlL6wHaley Stevens says she woke up clear-eyed and explains what pushed her to back Republican Mike Rogers:Haley Stevens Holds Primary Night Event In Detroit - Source: GettyAs per a report shared by CNN, Cooper asked Stevens what had changed between Saturday night and Sunday morning. He was also pressing her on a phone call she reportedly had with Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) the previous night. Dingell had apparently asked Stevens not to attend the Sunday event with Rogers, after Stevens told the senior lawmaker she still backed Abdul El-Sayed.When asked what had changed overnight, Haley Stevens replied“Well, look, this is just a weight off my shoulders, OK? Abdul has been getting angrier and angrier. I was trying to help, I endorsed him … There are so many Democrats who want to vote for our Democratic nominee. And they’re just being told, ‘Hey, this is a party you don’t belong in,’ or ‘This is a campaign you don’t belong in.’”(Stevens’ account of El-Sayed growing increasingly angry is her personal and political opinion.)“And I’ve never cast a present vote in the Congress. I’m making a decision here and that’s just where I landed on this. I woke up this morning, clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart, and that’s that,” she added.When Cooper pushed her on the phone call with Dingell, Stevens said she didn’t think she was on the phone “that late,” but noted Dingell was “always working around the clock.” She said she had been “with [her] thoughts” and “writing things out” before bringing up “this level of anger, and the things that we are seeing.” She also told Cooper that “nothing with me changed, Anderson.”Cooper pushed one more time on the call. Haley Stevens told him that“Oh Anderson, you certainly weren’t on the phone with me at midnight, and I don’t think I was on the phone either. But I have great respect for Congresswoman Dingell, and you know, she is a pillar…”Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani publicly condemn Haley Stevens following her endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers:Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) attend the 100-day address at the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens, New York, on April 12, 2026 - Source: GettyThe resignations followed quickly after Stevens’ endorsement went public. As per a report shared by CNN, Anderson Cooper asked her about her chief of staff Justin German and others walking out. German had reportedly described the team as “shocked and heartbroken” following the bombshell endorsement. When Cooper raised the subject, Stevens described the situation as a “transition,” sharing that“I’m running down my office. It’s all been packed up. These are great individuals who, you know, I care a lot about. And, you know, certainly, you know, they’re free to share their views on this. I am not trying to upset anyone. I’m just being honest with my constituents and what I’m hearing from people.”New York politician Zohran Kwame Mamdani took to social media to share his thoughts on Stevens’ endorsement switch. Mamdani, who has been vocal on progressive political causes, addressed the Michigan congresswoman directly in his post. As per the post shared by Mamdani on social media, he weighed in on Stevens’ decision to back Rogers, sharing that“Working class people’s lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills. Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against.”(Mamdani’s characterization of Stevens’ endorsement as a betrayal is his own political view.)Senator Bernie Sanders also went public with his thoughts after the news broke, taking to social media to respond. The Vermont senator addressed both Stevens’ endorsement and the staff resignations that followed. As per a post shared by Sanders, he weighed in on the situation, sharing that“Rep. Haley Stevens’ staff is right to resign in disgust. They understand that the election in Michigan is far more important than Haley’s fragile ego and that all of us must stand together to elect Abdul, defeat Rogers and end the Republican rubber-stamp control of the Senate.”(Sanders’ remarks, including the reference to Stevens’ ego, represent his individual political views and not a characterization the publication endorses.)