Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed's campaign has asked Rep. Haley Stevens to stay away from future campaign events as tensions between the former primary rivals resurfaced just days before the November election.

Two people familiar with the campaign's decision said El-Sayed's team wants Stevens to avoid appearances because her involvement could distract from the campaign's central issues. The request followed a public exchange in which Stevens demanded an apology from El-Sayed over past remarks about Israel and an advertisement supporting his candidacy that she characterized as antisemitic.

El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens in the August Democratic primary after a contentious contest that exposed divisions within the party over U.S. support for Israel. The winner now faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

The disagreement intensified Friday after Stevens indicated she was willing to appear with El-Sayed and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn at a Detroit church on Sunday. However, Stevens said she expected the Democratic nominee to apologize for previous comments and condemn an advertisement from an outside group supporting his campaign.

The advertisement depicted a grocery store conversation in which a woman told a man they could not afford eggs because they needed to reserve money for "killing Palestinians." El-Sayed's campaign has previously emphasized that it was not affiliated with the advertisement.

Rather than address Stevens' demands, El-Sayed accused her of continuing to revisit a primary that had ended months earlier. He pointed to his campaign's opposition to outside spending, including money from corporations and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and urged Democrats to concentrate on defeating Rogers.

The dispute drew criticism from other Michigan Democrats. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who also competed in the Democratic primary, questioned Stevens' actions and argued that voters were more concerned about everyday economic issues, including gasoline and grocery prices.

Michigan Democratic operative Adam Carlson also criticized public figures who continue to raise internal disagreements, questioning whether their comments were helping El-Sayed's campaign or simply attracting attention.

Other Democrats attempted to minimize the disagreement. State Rep. Joe Tate, a former Stevens supporter who has since endorsed El-Sayed, said Democrats remained united behind the goal of defeating Rogers, while acknowledging that rivalries from a competitive primary can linger.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also called for party unity while campaigning in Michigan for Democratic House candidate Callie Barr. Buttigieg argued that disagreements among Democrats should not overshadow issues such as health care and affordability.

Republicans have seized on the public dispute. Rogers praised Stevens for demanding an apology from El-Sayed, describing her as a courageous leader and agreeing with her criticism.

President Donald Trump also addressed the Michigan contest during a Friday night rally in Daytona, Florida, criticizing El-Sayed and warning Black and Jewish voters against supporting his candidacy.

The public disagreement has drawn additional attention to Democratic divisions in a state where the party is seeking to retain Peters' Senate seat as Republicans compete to maintain control of the chamber.