WASHINGTON — Michigan U.S. Rep. Andy Levin is defending his decision to run in the new 11th District after criticism by his opponent in the Democratic primary, Rep. Haley Stevens, who accused him of "abandoning" his current constituents.
The clash is the first public dustup in the incumbent-on-incumbent primary in Michigan's 11th, which is a Democratic-leaning seat in Oakland County that covers Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield Township and Pontiac.
Stevens of Waterford Township told Fox 2 for a story that aired Sunday that she was "very surprised" to learn that Levin would run for the seat.
"I couldn't imagine abandoning over 70% of my current constituents in an open and winnable congressional seat to primary a fellow Democrat," Stevens said.
"Right now, we need Democrats in Congress more than ever as we work to expand voting rights, lower the cost of prescription drugs and fight the climate crisis. ... I will not be pushed out of my district."
Levin responded Monday, issuing a statement saying that neither he nor Stevens has a "claim" to the district.
“No current Member of Congress has represented the new districts as drawn, full stop. I am running in the district drawn around the home where I’ve lived for 16 years raising my family, where I was raised, where my family has been for five generations and where voters have supported me," said Levin, who succeeded his father, Sandy Levin, in Congress in 2019.
“This is not a game of ‘musical chairs’ as some would suggest. Members of the House have to run every two years on our record and have to earn the support of voters."
Levin added that he looks forward to focusing on the issues and "not litigating" the work of the redistricting commission that voted Dec. 28 to approve Michigan's new political maps.
Both Levin of Bloomfield Township and Stevens of Waterford Township announced for the 11th District within hours of the new congressional map being approved. Both have stressed that Oakland County is their home.
But some Democrats had anticipated that Levin would run next door in the new 10th District because 65% to 70% of the population of his current district is there. He has said Democrats should find a candidate from Macomb to run for what's now an overwhelmingly Macomb district in the 10th — a competitive seat that political forecasters say leans Republican.
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens talks with Pontiac District 1 Councilwoman Melanie Rutherford at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 30th annual luncheon at St. Georges Cultural Center in Pontiac, Michigan on January 17, 2022.
"Really, my whole life has been here. I've loved representing Macomb and Oakland counties together. Still do," Levin told The Detroit News this month. "But we don't draw the districts ... and given what they drew, it just makes perfect sense for me to run here."
About 41% of Stevens' current district population is in the new 11th, compared with roughly 26% of Levin's constituents. The rest of the new 11th is largely represented by retiring Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield.
Levin spokeswoman Jenny Byer said it wasn't a surprise that Levin would run in the 11th District, as he indicated beforehand to colleagues and to Democratic leadership in Michigan that he would run in the 11th if the redistricting commission chose the map code-named Chestnut, which it did.
"I don't think there's anything comfortable or great about running against a colleague. It's very uncomfortable, and it's very difficult," Levin told Fox 2.
The opposing statements came as U.S. House candidates filed their fundraising reports for the last quarter of 2021, with Stevens hauling in about $634,500 to Levin's $364,600. Stevens reported over $1.9 million in cash in the bank to Levin's $1.1 million.
Stevens' campaign emphasized that it was the fourth consecutive quarter that she had outraised Levin. His team noted that his fundraising produced a seven-figure reserve "without the benefit of previously running in a nationally-targeted race.”
David Dulio, a political scientist at Oakland University, said the episode underscores that it will be a competitive primary, even if the two lawmakers are friends and respect one another.
“This early jousting simply reflects that. They both know they are going to have to potentially take the gloves off,” Dulio said.
“I don’t think it’s about being ‘negative’ but drawing a contrast. I think you’ll continue to see contrasts being drawn, either by candidates themselves or outside groups.”
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