Haley Stevens’ Campaign Is Underwhelming Democrats

Democrats in Michigan and Washington are growing more critical of Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens’ Senate campaign, which has been dogged by public missteps, underwhelming fundraising and a rising concern that her more liberal primary opponents are running more dynamic races.

They fear that rather than establish herself as a clear front-runner, the establishment favorite has slumped to a de facto dead heat in the primary, putting the party at risk of nominating a potentially weaker general election candidate in the critical swing state next year.

“A number of months ago, it was kind of lining up for her,” said Chris De Witt, a longtime strategist in the state. “But now I think it is much more wide open than that.”

“I’m not seeing any enthusiasm for her campaign,” he added. “That certainly can change, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of excitement about her effort.”

Stevens faces state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County public health director Abdul El-Sayed, both of whom are running to the moderate congresswoman’s left. Stevens’ centrist positioning has led to criticism from some liberal activists, who prefer the progressive agendas of McMorrow and El-Sayed.

But criticism of Stevens has also percolated in recent weeks among Democratic officials normally aligned with the party’s establishment and moderate factions.

“She’s bought herself some time with fundraising reports, but it’s not going well,” a Democratic strategist who works in Michigan politics told NOTUS. “Anybody with two brain cells to rub together sees that.”

Other Democrats remain hopeful Stevens can turn around her campaign but emphasized that the pressure to do so soon is growing.

“The concern is a five” out of 10, said another Democratic strategist familiar with Michigan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “And every day that gets closer to the new year, the concern goes up a bit. There’s still lots of time to put together a winning campaign, but it’s just not happening right now. So the anxiety level grows with each quarter that goes by.”

The perception that Stevens’ campaign has struggled in its early months — and some supporters privately acknowledge stumbles even if they think the criticism is overblown — underscores the competitiveness of the Michigan Senate primary, which is expected to be one of the party’s most contentious races in 2026.

And it’s another indication that Senate Democrats who have institutional support in a primary, a list that includes Gov. Janet Mills in Maine, are struggling in competitive races before even reaching the general election. It’s an unusual dynamic for a party that for 20 years has become used to its preferred candidates sailing through primaries.

Democrats had originally tried to recruit the state’s best-known elected official, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, to run for the seat being left vacant by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, according to three people familiar with the conversations. She has continued to deny any interest in the seat, though Democrats in the state still hope she might change her mind, the sources said.

Stevens’ supporters say her critics are misjudging her campaign, and that it has spent more time quietly building an organization and relationships in vote-rich regions of the state than developing an attention-grabbing social media presence. Those efforts, which supporters say span from Michigan’s oft-overlooked western half to Detroit, may not attract much media attention but will ultimately yield the votes that matter, they say.

“She has made a career out of being underestimated,” said Lon Johnson, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and a Stevens supporter.

Stevens “is a workhorse and not a show horse,” Johnson added. “And Michigan Democratic primary voters are predisposed toward senators that put their heads down and get the work done.”

Stevens has been endorsed by prominent Democratic lawmakers and organizations, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Elect Democratic Women, a committee dedicated to electing Democratic women to Congress, and the Voter Protection Project. She leads in early polling of the Democratic primary, and the same surveys show her performing best in a general election in a matchup with Rogers.

“We have always known this would be a closely-contested primary, and anyone who thought otherwise doesn’t understand Michigan,” said Reeves Oyster, spokesperson for Stevens’ campaign. “Haley is running this race the same way she has run every race and the same way that she spent her entire life–putting her head down, doing the work, and focusing on Michigan. She’s focused on protecting Michigan manufacturing, lowering costs, and fighting for Michigan’s auto industry.

“That might not be the kind of campaign that lights the internet on fire,” Oyster added, “but it’s the kind of campaign voters expect and is necessary to win in Michigan.”

When asked about criticism of Stevens’ campaign, Peters told NOTUS Wednesday in a brief interview, “I don’t get that impression.”

“She’s a real strong candidate, she’s putting together the kind of campaign she needs,” Peters said. “I’m not endorsing anybody, but I think we’re going to have a real robust primary with three individuals who are all working hard and putting together campaigns.”

The winner of August’s primary will likely face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost a 2024 Senate race in Michigan and has the backing of President Donald Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Campaign. Some Democrats say Rogers is running a much stronger campaign this cycle, raising concerns for the general election.

Republicans consider Michigan one their best pickup opportunities of the midterm election. Democrats counter that no Republican has won a Senate race there in 30 years, including in 2024, and that next year’s political environment is likely to be broadly hostile to the GOP.

Republicans hold a 53-to-47 edge in the Senate, meaning Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to win a majority in 2026. Doing so is considered a long shot by most analysts, and could be impossible if Democrats lose the Michigan race.

Democratic strategists are divided on how much danger the party would face if Stevens loses the primary. Some say they have been impressed by McMorrow, who they think has run a savvy digital operation and created enthusiasm among grassroots voters.

But other Democrats, wary of what they fear is a strategy aimed more at impressing MSNBC viewers than winning over voters in Michigan voters, are less certain about her strength in a general election. It is why Stevens has been the focus of so much discussion. As a battleground member of the congressional delegation with a moderate temperament, she fits the description of a winning statewide candidate — at least on paper.

“It’s the talk of Democratic circles in the state,” said a third Democratic strategist. “Not just in that there’s agreement things aren’t going well, but a total lack of understanding or insight why. Everybody has a different take on it.”

Critics point to an early blunder when the campaign wrongly posted that Stevens had been endorsed by a county commissioner from southwest Michigan. More recently, a photo of Stevens speaking in front of a nearly empty crowd was widely mocked online, though organizers of the event have said the picture was misleading.

Concerns run deeper about Stevens’ fundraising, which exceeded McMorrow’s and El-Sayed’s but by a relatively small margin. The congresswoman raised $1.9 million in the third fundraising quarter, while McMorrow raised $1.7 million and El-Sayed raised $1.8 million. Stevens had more cash on hand than either of opponent, but also spent more than either of them during the last fundraising quarter.

“Considering how some consider her the establishment choice, you would think her fundraising would be much more robust than it is,” De Witt said.

Democrats caution that the state’s highly competitive gubernatorial race, which features a well-funded independent candidate, and a mayoral race in Detroit have drawn so much donor interest that fundraising has been more difficult for Stevens.

But De Witt and other Democrats in the state also said they just felt as if they had heard more from McMorrow’s and El-Sayed’s campaigns, and had seen more visible signs of support for their candidacies, than they had for the congresswoman. Part of that shortfall, Stevens’ supporters say, might be because she’s still trying to become better known as she transitions to a statewide candidate.

“She needs presentation training,” said one supportive Democrat, who believes Stevens is still on track to win the primary. “She’s just not great in terms of how she presents. She’s fine for a House member; she’s short of it right now for a Senate candidate.”