STEVENS

MARQUETTE — The next candidate to be covered in our senatorial candidates series is Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who currently represents Michigan’s 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Born and raised in Oakland County, Stevens began her professional career as a field organizer for the Michigan Democratic Party in 2006, earning a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Philosophy from American University in 2007. She began working on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign before transitioning to former President Barack Obama’s campaign that same year, and was appointed as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force. Stevens has served in the U.S. House since first being elected in 2018. During her time in office, she has helped write multiple bills for the CHIPS and Science Act, and currently serves on multiple House Committees, including the Committee for Education and the Workforce; the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Stevens’ decision to run for Senate after serving in the House of Representatives is one that’s influenced by the financial burdens that are affecting people due to the cost-of-living crisis, and the knowledge that people are frustrated by uncertainties surrounding their employment and the economy.

“What I see right now, (what) is that push me to run for Senate, is that we’re in a Michigan moment. We need a champion in the Senate. We’ve got an open Senate seat. We’ve got a cost-of-living crisis in this country. We’re certainly not immune to it here in Michigan. We’re battling chaotic tariff policies that are only increasing costs. I think of the expertise and the background and the heart of this state, having been born here, and have dedicated my career to serving Michigan, (where I can) really do a good job for us in the United States Senate and push back on some of the chaos and confusion that’s causing prices to go up, as well as (causing) people to feel uncertain about their employment and the future of our state’s economy,” Stevens explained. “One of the things that I hear about and talk about a lot on the campaign trail (is) the squeeze of rising costs and people just feeling very frustrated. We need to make sure that the taxpayer dollar works for everyone, not just the billionaires. I obviously made the decision to run for Senate before a large federal tax bill came down. It was a billionaire giveaway. We’re already seeing healthcare costs go up. One of the things I talk a lot about on the campaign trail is that there’s $1.3 trillion of credit card debt in this country, or astronomical levels of debt. It’s not always the case that people are living outside of their means. It’s the fact that food banks and food assistance programs are being caught. People are feeling the crunch of this cost-of-living crisis. I believe I’ve got a good plan for Michigan. I’ve got the receipts for stepping up and serving Michigan. I’ve had bills signed into law every term I’ve been in Congress, and I’m going to hit the ground running as our state’s next senator to deliver real results.”

Stevens’ campaign strategy is to meet voters where they’re at, both physically and policy-wise, because she is able to take the concerns and ideas of Michigan’s people and bring them back to her office in Washington, D.C. to work on solutions to solve the problems brought to her attention.

“This is a big state-wide campaign, and I am so very eager to meet voters where they’re at, and I have been doing so. In fact, this summer, I had a Made in Michigan tour that brought me all across our state. I’ve been thrilled to have visited and spent time in the U.P. I’m going to be spending more time in our lower peninsula, and I also got a chance to meet with our farmers and other small businesses, retirees and students and families alike. That is so important because the job, in my opinion, begins with listening. It begins with learning about people’s lived experiences and then leading. That is how I’ve always approached my job of service, and I think that it couldn’t be more important now. So, a Made in Michigan tour was invigorating and inspiring and also very eye-opening about the work that needs to get done for our state,” said Stevens. “After the meetings…because I have my legislative office back in Washington…(I would say) ‘We need to plug in on this,’ and I was connecting all the dots. It’s just firing me up to want to do the job even more. Of course, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to write a love letter to your state, to go and earn the votes. I always say to people that I am eager to be Michigan’s champion in the United States…I’m also always eager to brag about our state, and there’s so many unique attributes and assets here. And, of course, our people are remarkable.”

Currently, Stevens serves the people of Michigan in the U.S. House by creating legislation designed to aid Michigan’s industrial employment sector, which includes the Unearth America’s Future Act she’s been working on. If elected to the Senate, Stevens believes having bandwidth in the Senate and bringing attention to that legislation will deliver real results to the people of Michigan.

“One of the big things is that I have been working on a large bill called the Unearth America’s Future Act, and that is a bill focused on critical minerals and lessening our country’s dependence on China for the processing and refining of critical minerals that go into creating critical materials. Those go into our advanced manufacturing goods like cell phones, fighter jets, or automobiles. I have put together a really compelling piece of legislation that is very worthy of our Congress’s attention. I’m certainly getting co-sponsors now as a House member, but I think having some bandwidth in the Senate to talk about lowering costs, lessening our dependence on China and creating jobs (would be helpful.) It’s very specific to Michigan because we are one of just a handful of states left in this country whose main and top employment sector comes from the industrial base that comes from manufacturing. We are a manufacturing destination, and, of course, we are so tied into the supply chain as a result of that. We want to make sure that our supply chain is secured for national security purposes, but also for economic security purposes as well. They go hand in hand. We don’t want to be dependent on a foreign adversary. I feel very strongly about hitting the ground running with an aggressive legislative portfolio for Michigan and delivering real results for people. I think that it’s one of the things that I’m hearing from people just about lowering costs means we need legislation to achieve that, and I’ve got those bills to do so.”

A few key messages and ideas that Stevens wants voters to know is that she’ll work to continue restoring trust between the government and the people, as well as making sure Michiganders have access to jobs and employment education so they can build a good life for themselves in the state.

“I believe that running to be Michigan’s next United States Senator is very much about dignity, respect, and restoring trust. We’ve got to continue to restore trust in our government. We’ve got to make sure that Michigan has respected the lawmaking table and has not locked all over. We’ve also got to make sure that the value of Michigan work receives the dignity that it deserves, and that means that people are able to build a good life for themselves and get access to good jobs and good training opportunities. I know all across the state, our trades are so prominent, the skilled trades and Earn and Learn programs so you can earn while you learn, particularly if you’re in the building trades. I’m fired up about Michigan. I’m fired up to tell Michigan’s story, and I very much see this run for United States Senate as about standing up for our state, standing up for Michigan.”

More information about Haley’s senatorial campaign can be found on her website at haleyformi.com.

Abby LaForest can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 548. Her email address is alaforest@miningjournal.net.