Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) won’t say if she’d back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer if elected to the Senate next year.
“My focus is on the Michigan voters, but I’m going to make any such decision along that line when I get there,” Stevens told us in an interview.
It’s just the latest example of Stevens trying to appeal to Michigan primary voters at a time when Democrats are angry with their representatives in Washington. Stevens is seeking to avoid the “Washington insider” label that could harm her in a crowded race.
But just two months ago, Stevens called Schumer “a great leader.” The comments stood in contrast to her primary opponent, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who made waves when she said she wouldn’t back Schumer.
The D.C. angle: As the only federal officeholder in the primary to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Stevens is touting her opposition to the Republican reconciliation package.
Stevens flipped a GOP seat in 2018 on the back of voter angst over Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Stevens said she sees a similar dynamic playing out in 2026 with Medicaid.
“What I’m hearing over and over again is that we need to expand Medicaid, not just protect and preserve it,” Stevens said.
Stevens is framing herself as a champion of Michigan manufacturing. Stevens touted her work on the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 and the Building Blocks of STEM Act that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2019.
“I’m very pleased to have been named one of the most effective lawmakers in the Congress,” Stevens said.
Unlike some of her Democratic colleagues, Stevens didn’t condemn Rep. Shri Thanedar’s (D-Mich.) Trump impeachment effort.
“I voted to impeach the president before, actually, a couple of times,” Stevens said, adding she’d carefully review any future Trump impeachment articles.
The Democratic field: Former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate entered the race this week, joining McMorrow, former health official Abdul El-Sayed and Stevens. It’s a far cry from the 2024 Senate Democratic primary, where now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) scared off any serious challenge.
So far, there isn’t any overwhelming favorite.
Both Slotkin and Peters told us they wouldn’t be endorsing anyone in the race.
“In Michigan, we have a pretty consistent tradition of not endorsing and engaging in primaries — just like what Debbie Stabenow did with me,” Slotkin said.
