In a sharply divided state that is also expected to be a fierce Senate battlefield in the midterm elections, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., began her Senate campaign on Tuesday, entering what is expected to be one of the most contested Democratic primary contests in the nation next year.
In the Democratic primary for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, which Democrats need to retain if they are to win the Senate majority the next year, Stevens joins state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed.
Stevens launched her campaign by concentrating on the state’s key auto industry and took aim in her debut video at President Donald Trump, who carried Michigan by 1 percentage point in November.
Stevens promoted her work in former President Barack Obama’s administration as the chief of staff for the White House car Task Force to bail out the car sector, with video of Obama praising her efforts.
“But Donald Trump has a much different plan for Michigan. His chaos and reckless tariffs are putting tens of thousands of Michigan jobs at risk,” Stevens stated. “Donald Trump says he couldn’t care less if auto prices rise. Well, as someone who spent my time in Congress fighting for Michigan jobs, Michigan families and Michigan workers, I couldn’t care more.”
Stevens also criticised “more chaos,” high housing expenses, and exorbitant prices. She also played a video of Trump with Elon Musk, the billionaire White House adviser.
In her video, she said, “What the heck are they doing?”
Having narrowly secured re-election in 2020 and flipped an open House seat in 2018, Stevens is no stranger to difficult contests.
She comfortably won re-election in the more Democratic-leaning 11th District in 2022 and in November after defeating fellow Democratic Representative Andy Levin in a primary after decennial redistricting changed the boundaries of their districts.
Stevens’ entry intensifies the competitive Senate primary, which El-Sayed entered last week and instantly gained the support of Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. McMorrow, who gained national attention in 2022 after a speech she made in response to a GOP colleague’s attacks went viral, began her campaign this month by calling for new party leaders.
In their introductory films, El-Sayed and McMorrow both made fun of Democrats in Congress, hinting at potential assaults on Stevens.
McMorrow stated that, “the same old crap out of Washington” won’t fix things, showing criticism of Democrats protesting Trump’s joint address to Congress with messages on paddles. El-Sayed invoked the same moment, saying, “We’ve got to fight back hard against Trump and Musk with a hell of a lot more than paper paddles and broken promises.”
The GOP primary in Michigan is also developing. Last week, former Representative Mike Rogers announced his Senate campaign, citing support from National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
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Rogers lost by less than half a percentage point in last year’s Senate contest in Michigan.
Although it’s unclear if national leaders would comment on the Democratic primary in Michigan, the party has avoided expensive and polarising intraparty competitions in recent election cycles by avoiding contentious Senate primaries.
In targeted Senate elections last year, three of the party’s four nominees—Colin Allred in Texas, Elissa Slotkin in Michigan, and Ruben Gallego in Arizona—either won their primaries handily or avoided primary opponents. In her deep-blue state of Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks won by over 10 points after a fierce and costly primary.
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Ahead of the November elections, when they would need to win four seats to take control of the chamber, Democrats are battling for several open Senate seats in areas that are competitive. Georgia and Michigan, two states that Trump won in November, are also being defended by Democrats.
After Democratic Representative Maggie Goodlander declared last week that she would not run for the Senate, Democrats in New Hampshire have begun to unite behind Rep. Chris Pappas to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
In Minnesota, where Democratic Senator Tina Smith is retiring, a fierce contest is developing. Rep. Angie Craig is thinking about running for the Senate, while Lt. Gov. Peggy Flannagan and former state Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen have already started their campaigns.
