Cass County party leaders react to Haley Stevens' cross-party endorsement

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- Local political leaders are reacting following Haley Stevens' bombshell endorsement of Republican senate candidate Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens ran against El-Sayed in the primary, and crossed party lines with days to go before the midterms.

Cass County GOP leaders say they were already confident in a Rogers victory, and that they welcome Stevens' endorsement with open arms. They say they believe her decision was made in good faith was a concern for the future of the county.

"She herself received over 700,000 votes, so if half of those decide to follow her lead, we're going to have a decisive victory," said Cass County GOP Vice Chair Roger Boyer.

Cass County Democrats say Stevens turned her back on her promises to Michigan voters. They say they are still cautiously optimistic about the midterms - saying many Democrats who originally backed Stevens continue to back El-Sayed.

"She's showing her true colors," says Cass County Democratic Party Chair Naomi Ludman. "I would say that I'm really disappointed."