Just before noon Sunday, I watched in disbelief as Rep. Haley Stevens arrived at Perfecting Church in Detroit alongside Mike Rogers, the Republican running for U.S. Senate in Michigan. At first, I convinced myself the appearance had to be a misunderstanding.

Stevens had nearly become the Democratic nominee herself, and the Senate race was entering its final days before Election Day. Appearing with the Republican nominee was alarming, but I still believed there had to be an explanation.

I believed that because I had known Stevens for years and considered her a friend, ally and dependable public servant. Whatever political disagreements existed between us, I trusted that she acted in service to the greater good.

On Saturday afternoon, I contacted her amid the campaign turmoil. I wanted to remind her that the political noise surrounding the race mattered less than the larger stakes, including what the outcome could mean for a future Supreme Court vacancy.

I wrote, “Hey friend, I have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes and I’m sure there are rather complicated private factors at play,” before urging everyone involved to focus on making the coming days as favorable as possible.

Stevens responded almost immediately by sending a video of an early October speech supporting Democratic nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and attacking Rogers. Beneath the video, she wrote, “Still stands. Promise.”

That assurance settled the matter for me. Stevens had always seemed like a straight shooter, and I trusted her word enough to dismiss everything else being said online and elsewhere.

I replied, “I trust you,” and meant it. Stevens then wrote, “Thank you. Just remember — I’m still a rep and navigating my people over tricky waters right now: Anything I do on any campaign is all volunteer. And that’s how I entered politics — volunteering to elect the people who are going to protect our rights. And freedoms.”

MS NOW contacted Stevens for comment about the messages, but she did not respond. Less than 24 hours after our exchange, I was watching her appear with Rogers at Perfecting Church while still waiting for the clarification I assumed would come.

Instead, a video endorsement of Rogers appeared online moments later. My heart dropped as the person who had promised me that her support for El-Sayed still stood publicly backed his Republican opponent.

Democratic political circles quickly tried to explain the decision. Some claimed Stevens was acting out of resentment because El-Sayed’s campaign had snubbed her, while others floated theories involving her new fiance, a mental health breakdown or possible corruption.

None of those theories made sense to me as someone who had called her a friend. Pettiness and political self destruction did not fit the savvy I had long associated with Stevens, yet the endorsement itself seemed equally impossible to reconcile with her record.

Republicans rushed to portray her decision as brave bipartisanship and an example of choosing country over party. That defense ignores the profound gulf between Rogers’ ideology and the positions Stevens has consistently championed.

Rogers opposes abortion rights and LGBTQ equality, while Stevens has supported abortion rights, abortion access and LGBTQ equality. He appears committed to blocking universal healthcare, while she has advocated for the Affordable Care Act, and their positions on labor and corporate power also sharply diverge.

National security may be their closest area of policy overlap, but even there the differences remain substantial. Rogers has supported President Donald Trump’s ongoing war in Iran, while Stevens has consistently voted against military actions there.

Critics on the far left have often dismissed Stevens as an out of touch moderate. I instead viewed her as a center left Democrat with a large heart, a pragmatic streak and a willingness to seek common ground without abandoning her values.

That is why claims that this endorsement was inevitable or principled ring so hollow. I do not recognize the person who assured me of her support for El-Sayed and then endorsed a Trump aligned Republican shortly afterward.

I contacted Stevens again after the endorsement and told her I was confused by the church appearance. I asked for clarification, noting that many people had defended her and were struggling to understand what she was doing.

I remain disgusted by what I see as cynicism and cowardice, even while wishing some rational explanation could restore the person I thought I knew. Trusting Stevens now feels like a painful mistake.

I have no doubt El-Sayed will defeat Rogers on Tuesday. Yet Stevens’ endorsement created a needless distraction from Michigan organizers and volunteers working to hold the Senate seat for working families and resist the Trump administration’s policies.

Any victory should center their work and commitment to the American dream, not the conduct of someone who once claimed to share that commitment. Charlotte Clymer is a writer, activist and military veteran.