Democrat Backs Republican in Michigan Senate Race
Listen to the story
Haley Stevens, a Democrat in Michigan, has made a surprising political move.
She had hoped to become the Democratic Party's candidate for a US Senate seat.
However, she lost the nomination to Abdul El-Sayed.
Now, just days before the election, Stevens has endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent instead of her own party's candidate.
An endorsement like this means publicly telling voters who to support.
Stevens' decision has caused anger among some Democrats.
It shows a serious rift inside the party over the Michigan race.
The Senate seat is seen as important for both parties.
Michigan is considered a key battleground state in US elections.
Battleground states can decide which party controls the Senate.
The Senate is one of the two chambers of the US Congress.
Senators help write and pass national laws.
It is unusual for a politician to support the other party's candidate.
This kind of action is sometimes called crossing party lines.
The story highlights tension among Democrats before the vote.
El-Sayed has not responded publicly to Stevens' move, according to the report.
The result of the Senate race will be known soon after the election.
Vocabulary10 words
- candidate
- a person running in an election
- nomination
- being chosen by a party to run in an election
- opponent
- the person you compete against
- endorsement
- public support given to a candidate
- rift
- a serious disagreement between people
- battleground state
- a state where either party could win
- Senate
- part of the US government that makes laws
- Congress
- the law-making body of the US government
- crossing party lines
- supporting the other political party
- tension
- a feeling of conflict or stress between people
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Quiz
Answer key
1. She endorsed a candidate from the opposing party 2. Abdul El-Sayed 3. It is seen as a key battleground state
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Haley Stevens, a Democrat in Michigan, has made a surprising political _____.
She had hoped to become the Democratic Party's candidate for a US Senate _____.
However, she lost the nomination to Abdul _____.
Now, just days before the election, Stevens has _____ El-Sayed's Republican opponent instead.
Stevens' decision has caused _____ among some Democrats.
It shows a serious _____ inside the party over the Michigan race.
Michigan is considered a key _____ in US elections.
The Senate is one of the two chambers of the US _____.
This kind of action is sometimes called crossing party _____.
The result of the Senate race will be known soon after the _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Haley Stevens decided to endorse the opposing party's candidate?
- How might this endorsement affect the Democratic Party's chances in Michigan?
- Do you think politicians should ever support a candidate from another party? Why or why not?
- What does this story tell you about political divisions inside parties?
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