Hours before a major debate with her primary opponent, US Representative Haley Stevens started a standard campaign visit on Monday in a setting that appeared familiar to her.

The Michigan contender for US Senate entered The Roost, a cafe and wine shop in the Woodbridge area, discussing her support for small businesses with owner Jeff Tatum. She prepared a cappuccino herself and noted with delight that the shop used Dial soap, similar to her father's enterprise.

Stevens also emphasized party unity. When asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about Jewish Democratic donors who might back Republican Mike Rogers if she lost the primary, she stated, "I am on the Democratic team. I am on the Beat Mike Rogers team."

The visit took an unexpected turn when Stevens spoke with Jai Singletary, head of a local neighborhood improvement group. Midway through their talk, he disclosed that he had already voted early for her opponent, former county health director Abdul El-Sayed.

Singletary further explained that the candidates' positions on aid to Israel were the key reason for his choice.

"Genocide is not just a Palestinian issue. We all need to care about this," Singletary told Stevens, a pro-Israel moderate who has benefited from nearly 30 million dollars in outside spending from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in this primary, the group's biggest single-race commitment according to CBS News. He argued that "our country bears direct responsibility for the lack of peace."

The Woodbridge Neighborhood Development director and local soccer coach continued, "We need to keep the money here. I do not think we should send any more aid to the State of Israel while they carry out the atrocities and widespread collective punishment."

This exchange brought into focus two major issues in Michigan's closely watched Democratic Senate primary: how much voters are weighing Israel in their choices, and whether pro-Palestinian positions in El-Sayed's campaign extend across racial groups, including Black communities where Stevens has built longstanding ties.

Many Michigan Jews who support Stevens have expressed concerns about El-Sayed, who has questioned Israel's existence as a Jewish state. The state also has a significant Arab and Muslim electorate that fueled a 2024 Democratic shift on Israel's Gaza operations, contributing to ongoing party divisions. Views among other voter groups remain less defined.

Israel Takes Center Stage in El-Sayed Campaign

El-Sayed and his progressive allies have aimed to place Israel at the heart of the contest, framing Stevens' AIPAC backing as a major weakness. Stevens' team has instead focused on the idea that most voters, including Detroit's majority-Black residents with whom she has positive history, prefer to discuss other topics.

Singletary, who is Black, disagreed. He told JTA that Israel mattered in his Detroit community.

"It is connected," he said, drawing parallels to apartheid-era South Africa and noting, "$3.3 billion to the State of Israel is money that could help here. I think people are recognizing the connections." He added that his vote was "100 percent exclusive" on the Israel issue, despite having no Palestinian family ties.

After the campaign departed, Singletary told JTA he had no ties to the El-Sayed effort and had come at the owner's invitation. He said he would not support Rogers in the general election even if Stevens prevailed and attended hoping to build a relationship in case she became the nominee.

The question of whether supporters of either candidate would back a Democrat in November if their choice loses the primary is gaining attention. Last week, Democratic US Representative Hillary Scholten of Michigan, a Stevens ally, declined to commit to voting for El-Sayed if he wins, citing his appearances with streamer Hasan Piker, who has said he would "vote" for Hamas over Israel and claimed "America deserved 9/11."

A Path the Party Should Avoid

"Abdul El-Sayed is leading us in a direction we do not want to go as a party," Scholten told CNN host Jake Tapper.

Stevens' campaign highlights endorsements from establishment Democrats, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Friday. She and El-Sayed will debate Monday evening in their last televised face-off before the August 4 primary.

During the talk with Singletary, Stevens smiled and nodded. She mentioned a Palestinian supporter, referenced work on China legislation with "my colleague Ro Khanna," the pro-Palestinian California congressman who endorsed El-Sayed, and affirmed her belief in a two-state solution while noting attacks "by name" from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

She also pointed to her staff and told Singletary with enthusiasm: "He voted for Abdul in the primary, and he came here to talk to me."