El-Sayed Has Record Fundraising Day After Rift

Abdul El-Sayed lost the support of a fellow Democrat in stunning fashion over the weekend, but the controversy appears to have had a silver lining for him: His Senate campaign reports pulling in $2.4 million on Sunday alone after Rep. Haley Stevens bucked the party by backing Republican Mike Rogers, reports the Washington Post. The campaign reports more than 65,000 donations that day, nearly half from first-time givers, averaging about $37 each. It ended up being El-Sayed's single best fundraising day, per the Wall Street Journal.

Stevens' move has enraged Democratic leaders—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer labeled it a "despicable betrayal," and some of her staff resigned—and could complicate Democrats' effort to capture the Senate. One new major poll had El-Sayed up by 11 points, though it was taken before the weekend move by Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the primary. Stevens has accused El-Sayed of failing to adequately address concerns about antisemitism among his supporters.