US Representative Haley Stevens declares victory
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens claims victory in the 11th District primary
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U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, a fellow Democrat in Congress, who conceded after a bitter Democratic primary marked by partisan bickering and a proxy war over Israel.
Stevens, 39, of Waterford Township, had 60 percent of the vote Tuesday night, and Levin, 61, of Bloomfield Township, had 40 percent, with about 77 percent of the votes counted.
“My friends, it is no mystery why we beat the odds. We stayed in Congress because we listened. I was listening,” Stevens said when the victory was announced in Birmingham just after 9pm
“Let’s continue to do the people’s work for Oakland County. Let’s show this country how we do it. Let’s continue to lead in education and say let’s continue to make a difference,” Stevens added.
“Let’s give a national right to abortion care for the girls who rely on us.” Let’s do it for the moms who never thought they’d see the day. Let’s do it for the people.”
Levine made the admission by phone shortly before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and congratulated Stevens in a statement.
“I will support her and work with her and others to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in Oakland County and across Michigan and the United States on November 8,” said Levin, who went on to praise his “people-driven” campaign .
“Unfortunately, I have also been the target of a largely Republican-funded campaign to defeat the movement I represent, regardless of where I ran. I am humbled by neighbors throughout Oakland County and new and old friends from across the country who stepped up to help me fight back until the last minute.”
Levin and Stevens, both two-term lawmakers, tried to beat each other in one of the most closely watched primary races this summer, where outside spending rose to nearly $9 million as a pro-Israel group and others spent heavily on to help Stevens.
The United Democracy Project, affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the biggest spender in this year’s Democratic primary, spending at least $24 million so far, according to OpenSecrets, including $4.1 million promoting Stevens, who is endorsed by AIPAC.
“Ultimately, it was a triumph of geography and money, but I think you often want to be the more moderate candidate in a Democratic primary,” said Kyle Condick of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.
“There is also a lot of outside money that has come in and more that has benefited Stevens,” Kondik added. “But that seemed to be the trajectory of the race, so it’s not a surprise tonight.”
After announcing his victory, Stevens said in an interview Tuesday night that he had “so much respect and admiration for anyone who wants to run for office or run for re-election.”
“I will continue to honor my colleague and his family and the heritage they come from,” Stevens said. “And I will also continue to stand up for the ordinary working people of Oakland County who demand that their congressman do good things for them.”
After redistricting, Stevens and Levine decided to run in the new 11th District, which covers Oakland County communities such as Pontiac, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Farmington Hills and the town of West Bloomfield.
Stevens, who is a moderate, ran a campaign tailored to Oakland County’s auto, manufacturing and small business interests, sounding very similar to her first two congressional runs, which ran in more conservative territory.
Her ads and other publicity have largely focused on her record, including her work on former President Barack Obama’s automotive task force, efforts to get more women and girls into science, technology and engineering fields, and work to address the shortage of semiconductors in the nation and gun violence.
She won the support of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and retiring U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Southfield, who represents key parts of the new district.
In Auburn Hills, JoAnn Barnes, 68, said she supports Stevens’ re-election Tuesday.
“She’s very passionate, personable and has done a great job so far,” Barnes said. “I haven’t heard of the money in Israel, but I don’t believe it will affect her much.”
Brittany Taylor, 33, of Pleasant Ridge said Tuesday she was “sad to have to choose” between Stevens and Levin, but voted for Levin because of his passion for abortion rights.
“What really pissed me off was when he was protesting abortion rights” in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Taylor said. “That was really strong for me.”
Levin’s union background swayed West Bloomfield voters Lisa and Matthew Wigant, both 54. They said it set him apart from Stevens.
“Everybody’s talking about reproductive rights, and that’s very important to me, but I feel like every single Democrat I could have would be strong on this issue at this point,” Lisa Wigant said. “But labor rights are very important to me and a lot of people don’t talk about them, and I think that’s something where I would lean more towards Levin.”
Levin, who is a progressive, tried to draw a sharper contrast between the two, emphasizing his record on union organizing, the Green New Deal and abortion rights. He was considerably more aggressive in his approach, painting his opponent as a flip-flopper who takes donations from corporate political action committees and votes based on what is most politically convenient.
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His announcements highlighted his priorities for protecting workers and voting rights. He has also hit out at areas where his positions differ from those of Stevens, such as stopping the Enbridge pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac and adopting a single-payer health care system.
Levin was backed by the climate-focused Sunrise Movement and progressive US senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
He objected to AIPAC’s level of spending against him as a Jewish candidate, saying he would not tolerate any criticism of Israel. That won’t change Levin’s support for a two-state solution or political and human rights for the Palestinians, he said, warning of the overwhelming influence of a Republican-funded lobby in the Democratic primary.
“I encouraged Rep. Stevens not to take that money, and many other people did. She took them anyway. She didn’t even say a word about it,” Levin said earlier this week.
“I don’t think it’s good for the future of the Democratic Party to allow our Democratic primary to be funded by right-wing interest groups.”
Stevens noted that her positions on Israel are in line with the majority of the House Democratic caucus and said she will continue to reaffirm her belief in strong US-Israel relations.
“I think it’s unusual to do an entire campaign on outside spending when my opponent is based on so many other values and principles,” she said. “I think people would love to hear from him on that.”
In the Republican primary, Mark Ambrose of Bloomfield Township led Matthew DenOtter of Waterford Township 70 percent to 30 percent in unofficial results late Tuesday.
mburke@detroitnews.com
Staff writer Carol Thompson contributed.
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