Haley Stevens Gets Awkward Welcome at Michigan Dem Convention

Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens was met with apparent boos at her state’s Democrat convention on Sunday, in the heat of a three-way fight for the party’s nomination in a crucial Senate race.

“Some very audible and prolonged booing for US Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running for U.S. Senate, at the Michigan Democratic Party convention,” observed a reporter for The Detroit News in attendance.

Stevens is facing attacks from her left flank from two primary opponents.

Stevens is seeking the Democrat nomination to face off against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes in 2024.

The race is to fill the seat of incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who is not seeking reelection. Democrats need to net four additional seats in order to win the Senate, so holding on to Michigan is critical for their path to a majority.

Stevens trails her two Democrat rivals, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health commissioner Abdul El-Sayed, by 11 points in a new Emerson College poll of the race.

The polling shows McMorrow and El-Sayed tied at 24% each. The Democrat primary will be held on Aug. 4, 2026.

McMorrow and El-Sayed have both set themselves apart from Stevens by harshly criticizing Israel and the current Senate Democrat leadership.

Stevens, on the other hand, is a staunch supporter of Israel and has the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The sole federal officeholder in the race, Stevens has been in Congress since 2019 and represents the Detroit-area 11th Congressional District.

Stevens is a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group whose website describes it as “committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation.”

She has called El-Sayed’s recent campaign event with controversial online commentator Hasan Piker “un-American.” Piker has made controversial remarks on his livestream, such as that the United States “deserved” the Sept. 11 attacks. 

Stevens also filed articles of impeachment against Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging “abuse of authority and undermining of the public health.”

Although no Republican has won a Senate race in the state in the 21st century, the Cook Political Report currently lists the race as a “TOSS UP,” the only Democrat-held seat with that status.

Rogers secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement, as well as that of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, shortly after entering the race.

Trump has won twice in Michigan—in 2016 and 2020—running on promises to restore the state’s industries.

In 2024, Trump made major inroads among the state’s large Arab population with promises of peace in the Middle East. The issue of Israel has been divisive for Michigan’s Left.

Former President Joe Biden’s stance on Israel was the subject of fierce debate among Democrats in the state in 2024, leading Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Rep. Rashida Tlaib to ultimately withhold their endorsements of party nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Democrat campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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