Who is Haley Stevens? Michigan Democrat who publicly endorsed Republican candidate amid El-Sayed feud – Profile | Today’s news
On Sunday, Nov. 1, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens stunned her fellow Democrats by publicly endorsing Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, just days before the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
As tensions between Democrats intensified, Stevens criticized her party’s nominee in a video posted on X. She said, “I’m not part of Abdul’s campaign,” adding, “Who we are as Michiganders is not hate and it’s not what we’re getting from our Democratic nominee right now.”
Read also | Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Republicans: What led to the stunning change?
According to the AP, Stevens supported Rogers, who is supported by US President Donald Trump, after she was pulled from a joint performance with El-Sayed scheduled for the same day. El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens in the August Democratic Senate primary.
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Haley Stevens is a Democrat from Michigan who represents the state’s 11th congressional district. She entered the US House of Representatives in 2019.
Stevens said Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign. Their tensions have risen after bitter primaries and disagreements, including disputes over Israel.
El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens in the August Democratic Senate primary, but the division continued afterward. They also clashed over campaign advertising and their differing positions on Israel.
Stevens worked on Democratic campaigns, including those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and served in the Obama administration. Her roles included work at the Treasury Department and the White House Auto Task Force.
Stevens served as vice chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and chairman of its subcommittee on research and technology. She also founded the Women in STEM Caucus and the House Plastics Solutions Task Force.
Announcing her endorsement of Rogers, Stevens said in a video message, “Our Democratic Senate candidate said I’m no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay out,” adding, “And he’s right. And that’s why I’m endorsing Mike Rogers for United States Senate today.”
The AP reported that the primary left lingering divisions among Democrats, particularly over Israel. Stevens strongly supports the country, while El-Sayed has sharply criticized the US ally.
Who is Haley Stevens?
According to her official website, Stevens was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan and graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham. She grew up in a household where her parents ran a gardening business and hauled equipment in a Ford F-150. Her website credits that upbringing with shaping her values of hard work, fiscal responsibility and self-determination, which she says continue to guide her public service.
Read also | Michigan primary: El-Sayed projected to win after razor-thin race with Stevens
Stevens represents Michigan’s 11th congressional district, according to her LinkedIn profile. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy and a master’s degree in social policy and philosophy from American University. She also completed the Junior Year Abroad Program in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford.
From campaign work to the Obama administration
Before becoming a congresswoman, Stevens held several roles. In 2006, she worked as a Western Michigan field organizer for the Michigan Democratic Party. She joined President Hillary in 2007 and worked on briefings and research.
In 2008, she worked for Obama for America, overseeing the coordination and compilation of outreach materials for Joe Biden, who later became Vice President. From 2008 to 2009, she worked on Senate confirmation and assisted nominated Cabinet Secretaries in their Senate confirmation.
From 2009 to 2011, she served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Auto Salvage Program and served as the White House’s Auto Task Force. Later in 2011, she joined the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration as a special advisor.
From 2012 to 2014, she worked with Louisville Metro Government on the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team and served as the lead project manager for the Mayor’s Export Initiative.
In 2017, she joined the UI Labs workforce development and manufacturing team.
Stevens’ congressional career
Stevens joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019. Her roles in Congress have included Vice Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology; founder of the Women in STEM Caucus and the House Plastics Solutions Task Force; co-chairman of the recycling committee; member of the Education and Labor Committee; and vice-chairman of the future forum.
Her endorsement of Rogers marks a sharp break with her party’s Senate nominee and brings renewed attention to a political career built largely around Democratic campaigns and the Obama administration.
