In break with party unity on eve of US midterms, Democratic lawmaker makes public appearance with Republican candidate

In a rare break with party unity on the eve of Tuesday's US midterm congressional elections, with most polls favoring the Democrats, a US Democratic lawmaker who failed in a primary bid for a Senate candidacy made a surprise appearance Sunday with the Republican nominee for the seat.

Footage from Perfecting Church, a prominent Black church in Detroit, Michigan, showed Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens and Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers sitting together and smiling.

Stevens lost the Democratic nomination to Abdul El-Sayed during the primary contest in August. After her loss, she had pledged to help fellow Democrat El-Sayed win Tuesday's election, but they have not appeared publicly together besides a unity breakfast just after the primaries.

Sunday's appearance followed public disputes between the two Democrats after Stevens demanded that El-Sayed condemn an ad by an unaffiliated political action committee (PAC) linking grocery prices to US assistance to Israel. Stevens argued that El-Sayed should begin campaign finance reform "by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford."

El-Sayed rejected the criticism, asserting that Stevens appeared "intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago."

Ahead of her primary contest, Stevens got unusually large donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel PAC in the United States.

The race has drawn additional attention because El-Sayed, a former public health official, would become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate if he wins.

Rogers has sought to make Ed-Sayed's faith an issue in the race, alleging that he has divided loyalties, in attacks El-Sayed's supporters say are Islamophobic.

El-Sayed hit back hard against Rogers' claims, pointing out that the late John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, faced similar allegations when he successfully ran for president in 1960.

El-Sayed has hit back hard against claims that his religious faith would somehow amount to "double loyalty," pointing out that the late John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, faced similar allegations when he ran for president in 1960.