Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate fourth-term congresswoman and a favorite of the Democratic establishment, is one of two contenders in her party’s Senate primary in Michigan on Tuesday.
Here are five things to know about Ms. Stevens, 43, of Birmingham, Mich., in suburban Detroit, who is running to replace Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat who is retiring.
1. She is the choice of Democratic leadership in Washington, D.C., and Michigan. Ms. Stevens, who once was a field director for the Michigan Democratic Party, has deep roots in the party. She is not publicly supported by the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm or by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic minority leader. But Mr. Schumer has asked donors to support Ms. Stevens, and sees her as a stronger general election candidate than her left-wing rival, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. She also received endorsements from the state’s popular Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and from Mr. Peters, the Democrat who is vacating the seat.
2. She is a strong supporter of Israel. Ms. Stevens, running at a moment when Democrats are divided over Israel, has been firm in her position. She supports maintaining unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. She says she does not believe the Israeli government has carried out a genocide in Gaza. And she calls herself a “proud pro-Israel Democrat.” Her posture has drawn criticism from progressives and support from AIPAC, the hard-line pro-Israel lobbying organization. Dr. El-Sayed, who accuses Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza, has focused on tying her to AIPAC, an organization many Democrats view with deep skepticism. Ms. Stevens has declined to engage with questions about AIPAC’s support. In April, party activists unhappy with her position on Israel booed her at a state party convention. She has maintained that most voters in Michigan are more focused on affordability than foreign policy.
3. Her Michigan accent has been a focus in the race. Ms. Stevens went viral in July after a video circulated on social media showing her at a campaign event. “I’m gonna be doin’ it with a little bit of joy,” she said, punching her hands forward. “A little bit of enthusiasm. A little bit of energy.” And, she continued, punching her right hand into her left palm, “a little bit of stick-it-to-’em! Because that’s the Michigan way!” Her critics mocked the video, but Ms. Stevens seized on the criticism, turning it into a rallying cry. “They’re makin’ fun of Michigan,” she said at an another event. “They’re thinkin’ they’re better than us. And what they don’t know is: I am your voice.”
4. She flipped a House seat in 2018. Ms. Stevens rose to Congress in the midterm elections of President Trump’s first term, winning a suburban Detroit seat that a Republican representative was vacating. Republicans had held the district for decades. Ms. Stevens, who ran on a platform centered on infrastructure and health care access, defeated a business owner. Her victory was part of a year of record gains by women in the House. Another centrist Democrat who flipped a suburban Midwestern seat in 2018, Representative Lauren Underwood of Illinois, has endorsed Ms. Stevens for Senate this year.
5. She has links to Barack Obama (but not his endorsement). Ms. Stevens was an aide on Mr. Obama’s campaign for president in 2008 and later led the Obama administration’s auto task force. In 2018, Mr. Obama endorsed her congressional campaign, and she ran ads that showed him at a rally describing her as a “critical part of my team that helped the American auto industry come roaring back.” During her Senate run, AIPAC’s main super PAC has spent millions to broadcast an ad using the same footage. But Mr. Obama has not weighed in on the Senate race.
See the latest results in today’s key races including updates on the Michigan Senate primary, plus more elections in Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Virginia and Washington.
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