I wasn’t alone.

Behind me were volunteers, friends, supporters, and a notably healthy contingent from UNITE HERE Local 24—people who had knocked doors, made calls, organized workers, and given up their Saturday because they believed in what we were building.

Then they called my name.

And the room erupted.

Not in applause.

In boos.

They were loud enough that if you were standing in the convention hall—or watching the video later on your phone—you could barely hear a word I said.

Good freakin’ grief.

What on earth had I done?

I hadn’t abandoned the Democratic Party. I hadn’t blocked voting rights or reproductive freedom. I hadn’t spent my time in Washington manufacturing disagreements with Democratic leadership so I could get booked on cable television to talk about them.

Quite the opposite.

I’ve campaigned for every Democratic presidential nominee since I was old enough to vote. I worked for the party while I was still in college. I won a congressional district Donald Trump carried and then kept winning it. I helped elect other Democrats. I wrote legislation. I passed legislation. I showed up.

I was, by almost any conventional definition, a Democrat.

And my own Democratic convention was booing me off the stage.

Now, luckily, I’d been booed before.

Spend a few terms as a Democrat representing a district that voted for Donald Trump and you develop a certain tolerance for people yelling while you’re holding a microphone.

But this was different.

These weren’t MAGA protesters.

These were Democrats.

And this time, my supporters were standing up there with me.

My mother was standing up there with me.

Something in me switched on.

Maybe it was experience. Maybe stubbornness. Probably both.

But I wasn’t going to stand frozen behind the podium waiting for the room to settle down.

So I walked.

I crossed the stage. I kept talking even though I could barely hear myself. I put my arm around the man next to me, lifted the microphone and called out over the noise:

“Democrats, even when we disagree, I love you.”

A few months later, the morning after I lost the Democratic primary for the United States Senate by about a percentage point, I stood in front of Democrats again.

I started with the same words.

“Democrats, I love you even when we disagree.”

I meant them both times.

But I’ve thought a lot since April about that last word.

Disagree.

Because disagreement wasn’t really what I saw in that convention hall.

There were boos, yes.

There were also people screaming “F*** you, Haley Stevens.”

There were people screaming “Zionist pig.”

And suddenly a disagreement over one of the most painful, complicated conflicts on earth had become something much simpler: a verdict on whether someone belonged in the room at all.

That bothered me then.

It bothers me more now.

Not because my position on Israel is particularly mysterious. It isn’t. I believe Israel has a right to exist and Israelis have a right to live in safety. I believe Palestinians deserve dignity, freedom and a state of their own. I believe this war has brought an unbearable amount of suffering. I have disagreed sharply with decisions made by the Netanyahu government. I want a permanent peace, and I believe the only durable path to one is two states.

You can disagree with any part of that.

That’s politics.

But somewhere along the way, parts of our politics have begun confusing disagreement with disqualification.

That’s something else.

After the convention, people came up to me and told me they were horrified. Some said they would never attend another party convention. Women of different ages and backgrounds have stopped me with tears in their eyes to say they were proud I stood my ground and heartbroken by what they watched happen.

Lordy lord.

My primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, reached out afterward. He spoke publicly, too. He didn’t excuse what happened. He said it was wrong and asked people to be better.

That mattered to me.

Abdul is now Michigan’s Democratic nominee for the United States Senate. He didn’t create that moment, and I don’t believe he wanted it.

I lost to him.

That’s democracy, too.

And this isn’t an essay about why I was right and everybody else was wrong. I’m not looking to be the hero of April 18. I’m certainly not interested in being its victim.

I ran because I believe things.

I still do.

I’m a manufacturing geek. Happily.

Before Congress, I worked on the Obama administration’s auto rescue as chief of staff to Ron Bloom and Steve Rattner. I’ve spent my time in Congress working to strengthen American manufacturing, grow Michigan’s innovation economy, support organized labor and make sure the country that invented modern manufacturing doesn’t decide it’s easier to buy everything from somewhere else.

I’ve visited hundreds of small businesses.

I’ve walked factory floors.

I’ve sat with workers worried about whether the plant will still be there when their kids are old enough to need a job.

Those experiences have shaped my politics at least as much as anything that happens inside the Capitol.

So has representing a district with a large and vibrant Jewish community.

So has serving as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Hostage Task Force and helping lead the House to pass, 414-0, a resolution condemning Hamas and calling for the hostages to be released.

Four hundred and fourteen to zero.

And still Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen, was murdered after nearly eleven months in captivity.

None of this has given me simpler answers.

If anything, it has made me more suspicious of people who claim to have them.

Because the Middle East is not the source of every American grievance. It is not a shortcut for understanding every injustice. And no conflict—no matter how passionately we feel about it—should become permission to decide that everyone who sees it differently is corrupt, hateful or unwelcome.

There was another moment after the convention that stuck with me.

A popular local influencer reposted the video of me being booed and announced, essentially, that nobody liked me and I should drop out of the race.

Well.

I didn’t.

I ran the race.

I lost it.

And now many of the same people who spent the primary demanding ideological purity are confronting uncomfortable questions of their own about rhetoric, antisemitism and where criticism ends and something uglier begins.

There is a lesson in that, although probably not the one anybody wants to hear.

Political coalitions are easy when everybody agrees.

They’re also unnecessary.

The whole purpose of a coalition is to hold people together who don’t.

Michigan Democrats will gather again this weekend. This time, the primary is over. We have our nominees. November is about 65 days away.

There will be disagreements.

Good.

There should be.

Democracy isn’t supposed to make disagreement disappear. It’s supposed to give us a way to live with it.

Voting is personal and private. Political engagement is loud and public and frequently inconvenient. Democracy is messy because human beings are messy.

The alternative isn’t a cleaner democracy.

It’s less democracy.

April wasn’t my moment.

Neither, ultimately, was this Senate race.

I wasn’t warmly embraced at my own convention. I didn’t win the nomination I spent more than a year fighting for.

And you know what?

I’m still here.

I’m still a Democrat.

I still believe science matters. I still believe health care should be affordable and accessible. I still believe working people deserve more power in an economy that has given too much of it away. I still believe organized labor built the middle class. I still believe women should control their own bodies and every eligible American should be able to cast a ballot without politicians putting obstacles in their way.

I still believe America should make things.

I still believe our alliances matter.

And I still believe the Democratic Party is big enough to contain people who disagree with one another.

It has to be.

Because elections happen. Somebody wins. Somebody loses. Governments form. Coalitions shift.

And then we do the whole ridiculous, extraordinary thing again.

Meanwhile, Americans wake up every morning with considerably more immediate problems.

The rent is due.

The grocery bill is too high.

The factory down the road is laying people off.

A parent can’t afford a prescription.

A young couple can’t afford a house.

A worker wants a union and is scared they’ll lose their job for saying so.

Those problems aren’t going to be solved by finding another Democrat to throw out of the room.

They’re going to be solved by figuring out how to stay in the room together long enough to do something about them.

Even when we disagree.

Link to donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tsgpac

Earlier today, I called Abdul El-Sayed and congratulated him. Abdul is a doctor, a community health official, a Rhodes Scholar, and a dedicated Michigander. When we spoke, I wanted to make one thing clear: he has my full support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election.

This was a rigorous and thorough primary, and the full span of views within the Democratic Party were heard. Yes, it was tough at times, but that’s why we have primaries. This is a big tent, there’s bound to be disagreement, and that’s OK. This is what democracy looks like. This is what America is about.

And this is an important moment in our country’s history. It is absolutely critical that we elect Democrats up and down the ballot. We need to re-elect my friends Kristen McDonald Rivet and Hillary Scholten. And we need to win this Senate seat, because Elissa Slotkin deserves a partner like Abdul standing shoulder to shoulder with her in the U.S. Senate. Elissa and Abdul are gonna get stuff done for Michigan. I know it.

I’ve said from the start that this campaign would be a love letter to Michigan, and that I would run through anyone and anything to protect and defend this state. Today’s result does not change that. I’m still all in for the state I love. That’s the Michigan way.

So I can tell you this, Michigan: Haley Stevens will be here.

That’s who this is for. These Michiganders are the reason I’m doing this.

I’ll always be working my heart out for you. First up, we gotta bust our tails to beat Mike Rogers. Then we stand up to Donald Trump, stop his cuts to health care, solve our affordability crisis, and make sure Michigan manufacturers are heard in the halls of power.

I’m so proud of our grassroots campaign. I want to thank every single one of you who volunteered, chipped in, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and talked to a friend about this race. Your work mattered. And I am forever grateful to you for believing in me.

To every Democrat: I love you. Even when we disagree. Let’s come together.

To Michigan: I love you. I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity to serve you and to run for the Senate.

With grit and endless gratitude,

Haley

Tomorrow, Michiganders will vote in the primary to decide which Democrat will face Mike Rogers in November.

There’s nothing left for me to say that I haven’t already said in a union hall or on somebody’s porch.

What I keep thinking about is the people I’m in this for. I’ve met a lot of Michiganders during this campaign, and I mean it when I say I’m carrying each of you around with me. I see your faces, I think about what you said, I remember your stories.

I’ll meet somebody and chat with them for a few minutes at a diner, and then six months later I’m in a committee hearing in Washington, and their face turns up in my head. And it reminds me what’s important – the real folks behind the policies.

I’ve got a lot of those faces in my head now.

I think about Myleka behind the counter at her bagel place in Grand Rapids, the apprentices at the UA Local 85 picnic, the little girl who flexed for our camera like Rosie the Riveter, the woman who runs the pet store in South Haven, the gals at the fish fry on Tigers Opening Day who came up to me in tears worried about their energy bill, the mom on a porch in Detroit who asked plainly what I was going to do about her rising insurance premium … all of these good folks who deserve a fighter in the Senate.

That’s who this is for. These Michiganders are the reason I’m doing this.

I’m proud that we ran this campaign the way Michiganders actually live. We showed up in small rooms in every corner of this state and we listened, we learned, and then we told people directly what we’d do and why.

That’s it. That’s the whole strategy. It’s not glamorous, but public service rarely is.

The most exciting part is that if we win, I get to keep doing this good, hard work. Lowering costs. Protecting Social Security and health care. Bringing manufacturing home. Standing up to Donald Trump and Mike Rogers. Being the person in that room who is thinking about the mom on the porch in Detroit while the other side is thinking about their right-wing MAGA billionaire donors.

I have fought for Michigan my entire life. I love this state. It made me who I am – a gritty policy geek with a special place in her heart for the place that raised her.

And tomorrow, it’s up to Michigan to decide who represents them in the U.S. Senate. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. That’s the whole point of the thing. Michigan voters decide. I love that about this country, even on the nights it makes me a little anxious.

So I’m asking one favor tonight:

Please, make a plan to vote tomorrow. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. And if your absentee ballot is still at home, don’t mail it at this point – hand-deliver it to your local clerk’s office.

If you’ve already voted, thank you. Now I want you to be a little annoying: call your sister, text your neighbor, remind them tomorrow is the big day. We can’t let up.

And if you’re able, chip in tonight to help us reach every last voter in the final hours.

Last thing: THANK YOU.

I mean that. Thousands of you chipped in, knocked doors, made calls. You told me your stories. I’m honored to fight for you.

This whole campaign has been a love letter to Michigan. I’m grateful you’ve helped me write it.

With gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

I’m the official campaign dog for Haley Stevens, certified good girl, professional napper, coney dog-tasting expert, and emotional support animal to the entire Team Haley pack.

I have to say, there is something WILD happening at headquarters right now. The humans keep telling each other the primary is in TWO DAYS. I do not know what that means. I think it has to do with voting, which dogs cannot do (yet).

But the energy here is weird. It’s like, I am trying to get my normal 15 to 16 hours of sleep, and the vibes are sorta squirrel-like. Meaning everybody is running around and barely taking a long break to pet me and snuggle me. Weird. Because I’m adorable and I love them.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE. Humans I have never met before are coming in, and they sit down at tables with phones and lists. They go out into the Michigan sun. They talk about meeting voters. They smile and laugh, and they eat coney dogs standing up. Sometimes they sneak me little bits (and I have to say this personal gift is amazing, and I am accepting it with grace).

My mom is a literal angel. Katelyn – Haley’s finance director – has not sat down in furever. She keeps saying, “Two days. We need support these next two days.” Everyone keeps saying it. TWO DAYS. TWO DAYS. Ugh.

I do not know how long two days is. I am a dog. Is that one nap? Is it forty naps? Nobody will tell me, and frankly, I don’t think they know either.

But here’s the thing. The vibes right now are intense – but happy? Human people are complicated. Everyone is filled with joy but also kinda anxious. I’m like, PICK A LANE, HUMAN!

So in my official position as campaign dog, I want to get human-level serious for a second.

I LOVE everyone on this campaign. And I’m so proud of them. I’ve been under the desk and at the events and all over the place for all of it. I’ve seen Haley at events with hundreds of people, and she talks to every single one of them like they’re the only person in the room. That’s literally her favorite thing – talking to Michiganders. (I prefer sniffing, but whatever.) I can tell, Haley LOOOVES people almost as much as I do.

And they love her, humans. I can smell it. I would not lie to you about this because I am a dog. I don’t know how to lie.

Haley works so hard. AND she always has time to give me pets. Honestly, her hustle makes me tired, and I have twice as many legs.

So I guess what I’m saying is that on Tuesday, the humans of Michigan get to decide if she wins the primary and gets closer to going to the Senate. TUESDAY. That’s what we’re running toward.

So here’s what my mom says we need in these last two days:

They need to talk to as many Michiganders as they can before Tuesday. Calls, texts, doors, all of it. And doing that takes human dollars (aka money), which I don’t understand at all, but on behalf of the people I love: If you’re able to chip in before Tuesday, this would be a PAWS-itively perfect moment. Like, if you could give $10 or $1,000, that would be great. I think? I’m not sure. I don’t have a good concept of how much that is.

Donate

ALSO! My queen of a mom keeps telling people this, and I’m going to tell you so she gives me a treat: If you’re a Michigander, VOTE ON TUESDAY.

Dogs STILL do not get to participate in democracy, which I strongly disagree with. So I’m counting on you.

I love Haley Stevens, I love this pack, and I love the humans of Michigan who smell like coney dogs, sunscreen, and hard work.

Two more sleeps, everybody! Go vote! Give human money if you can!

OK, I have to go now. A volunteer just opened a bag of something meaty, and it is critical that I supervise.

I LOVE YOU!

Bailey 🐶
Official Team Haley Campaign Dog

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

You may remember his previous ad, where he wore a brand-new Carhartt jacket and pretended to be an expert in Michigan manufacturing. Well, now it’s the fleece vest, and he’s pretending to be middle class. The ad even says that’s “who we are.”

Respectfully, I disagree.

Let me tell you who Mike Rogers is: Mike Rogers is a super-rich Florida man with a giant waterfront mansion. In the winter, when Michiganders are scraping ice off their windshields in the cold, Mike Rogers is enjoying the palm trees at his mansion in Cape Coral and his two luxury yachts. (No joke, Google it.)

That’s Mike Rogers. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing on the beach, but there’s something deeply wrong with being a carpetbagger millionaire who films himself at a factory and tells Michigan he’s one of us.

Rogers doesn’t know anything about Michigan grit. Most Florida millionaires don’t.

But I know who we are. The Michigan way is folks busting their tails – it’s calloused hands, shop floors, union halls. It’s pride. It’s building things that last. It’s standing up for your neighbor. It’s having the backs of your fellow workers. It’s about looking out for community. It’s not about hightailing it to your Florida mansion.

So here’s what I want to say to Mike Rogers directly: Standing next to a drill press doesn’t make you a fighter for the people who run it. Chatting with workers for a camera crew before flying home to Florida is not the same as working like hell to keep their factory open. And having a beer with some folks in a Michigan bar doesn’t change your values. It doesn’t suddenly give you credit. Working families shouldn’t trust you, despite your (literal) costume changes.

I’ve actually done the work. I served as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s auto rescue when the whole world was ready to write off Michigan, and we helped save 200,000 jobs here. I helped write and pass the CHIPS and Science Act to bring manufacturing back to American soil, and to Michigan.

I didn’t stop to shoot a commercial to make sure everybody saw how working-class I was. I was too busy busting my tail for the people who actually run those factories.

So let’s be honest about what Mike Rogers would actually do for Michigan’s working families: exactly what Donald Trump has done. That’s who he answers to. Trump endorsed him (twice), MAGA billionaires fund him, and if he ever made it to the Senate, he’d vote however they tell him to. Rogers doesn’t care if your grocery bill goes up, if gas prices skyrocket again, or if you lose your health insurance. He cares about looking like he cares.

This ad just started running, and there is a heap of money behind it. Last cycle, Mike Rogers had $82.3 million in ad support from Republicans for his Senate campaign. He lost anyway, because Michiganders know B.S. when they see it.

But the out-of-state far-right billionaires funding him are going to run it back, bigger. The fleece vest is going to be in your living room, on your phone, and in the middle of your Tigers games – then your Lions and Red Wings and Pistons games – from now until November.

It’s going to be exhausting.

So here's the plainest thing I can tell you about how we fight back: We keep our TV ads on the air.

Their MAGA Trump consultants think a guy who walks around factories talking about being middle class is going to win votes here. They think Michiganders can’t tell the difference. But Rogers is a fake. He wouldn’t know the Michigan way if it bit him on the keester.

Our ads tell the truth: about my record, about fighting for working families, about who actually shows up for Michigan. Keeping them running is the single most strategic thing this campaign can do right now, and I truly can’t do it without you.

So if you’re able, will you chip in today, drown out Mike Rogers’ ads, and help us keep telling Michiganders the truth before the primary in three days?

We have to win this primary, beat Mike Rogers, flip the Senate, and stop Donald Trump – and all of it starts with fighting back against this ad. It’s simple, but it’s true. That’s where your $20 donation goes. Telling the world who Mike Rogers really is.

Donate

Mike Rogers can keep the vest. He can keep the Florida mansion and the luxury yachts, too.

But Michigan is ours.

With grit,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

I loved that car and I was so dang proud to drive it. I remember driving to school with the windows rolled down, grinning from ear to ear with my CD player blasting TLC’s “No Scrubs.”

I couldn’t wait to drive that car around Michigan. It meant I owned a small piece of my state.

An Oldsmobile: a car designed in Michigan by a Michigan company – somebody’s dad, somebody’s mom, somebody’s neighbor, somebody in my state who literally clocked in and created the thing I was driving. Incredible.

You don’t forget that feeling. Driving around your own state in something your own people made possible. That’s a specific kind of pride, and I don’t know if folks in other states quite have that feeling.

My friend Debbie Stabenow says something I think about a lot: In Michigan, we make things and we grow things.

That’s special.

The Cutlass Supreme seats were plush. Big, soft, cushy bench seats, like taking your grandma’s den for a drive down I-96. And the engine was relentless – from cold Michigan winter mornings or zipping up a hill. Tough as nails.

That’s Michigan right there. Tough, with a big heart. Made of grit and kindness. Michiganders work hard, get covered in grime – and then at the end of the day we clean up and bring a casserole to the neighbor who’s having a rough week.

I’ve been thinking about that Oldsmobile a lot lately. Because that engine could take a beating – and right now, a whole lot of folks in this state are taking one.

I was knocking on doors in Detroit on a hot afternoon, standing on a porch while a mom told me about her insurance premium going up again and again. I was in a grocery store watching folks put hamburger meat back on the shelf because the price was just too darn high.

I’ve been in union halls and diners and on picket lines, drinking coffee with folks and doing a lot of listening because here’s my honest belief about this job: Listening and learning come first. You cannot fix a problem you don’t truly understand.

And I understand things are hard right now. Washington is a mess. Michiganders have been paying the price of Trump’s affordability crisis every single day – at the pump, at the register, at the pharmacy counter. And instead of giving relief to Michigan families, Republicans want to hand Trump tens of billions of your tax dollars for a reckless war in Iran.

It’s unacceptable.

Some people just want to yell about it. I’m fighting to fix it.

That’s the whole reason I’m in this race. Slogans and celebrity don’t win elections. They sure as heck don’t lower anybody’s grocery bill.

I’m running to be the relentless engine for Michigan. Somebody who gets the job done.

That’s what I’m trying to do right now in this race. But we’re speeding toward the finish line, and I need your help to fill the tank. The primary is Tuesday, and tonight at midnight is our final end-of-month deadline.

Right now, it’s all about having the resources to fund our get-out-the-vote push. The next four days are the whole ball game. The polls show I’m the best Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers, but that doesn’t mean anything if we don’t reach critical voters.

Our organizers are heading into the busiest weekend of this entire campaign so far – phones, doors, texts, and a whole lot of reminding folks that Tuesday is the big day. It’s unglamorous work. But those good folks do it with clipboards and sore feet because they believe in sending somebody who was made in Michigan and ready to get stuff done to the U.S. Senate.

That grit and doggedness is how close primaries get won – not with likes on an Instagram account, just Michiganders talking to our neighbors.

If you’re able, will you chip in before midnight tonight to power that final push and help us hit our last end-of-month deadline before the primary? No pressure, and I’m not asking for a fortune; 20 or 30 bucks would help support our team’s work more than you know.

DONATE

That Cutlass is gone, but I’m still the girl who loves Michigan, still so proud to be a Michigander, and ready to keep fighting for the people I love.

Tough as nails, big hearts, full speed ahead.

With grit and gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

Summer is the absolute best in Michigan. You’re sitting by the lake, relaxing, pulling snacks out of the cooler – and then a seagull locks eyes with you from 20 feet away. Just checking in. Making sure you’re good, hovering a little. Hoping you can throw something their way. It can be mildly annoying.

Right now, this campaign can feel like a seagull at the lake.

If it feels like you’ve been hearing from us a LOT lately – texts, ads in the middle of the Tigers game, on the news, in the paper – you’re not imagining things. You have. I know.

I see the messages too, and yeah, I find them a little annoying, and I’m the one sending them!

I’m not going to pretend asking for money is my favorite part of the job. But this is a grassroots campaign, and I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t absolutely need your support. The truth is, we’re in the last stretch of the most important Senate primary in the country.

Your $10 or $20 can truly make a difference in keeping Michigan blue. This is the part of a primary where you find out what our team is made of. Where every hour, every volunteer, every dollar, every Substack matters.

Here’s why I’m writing to you right now: Tomorrow at midnight is our final end-of-month deadline before the primary. And the primary is five days away.

I’ve written to you about FEC deadlines before – those were about numbers going public. This one is different, and it’s simpler. This one is all about the calendar.

Here’s what I mean: Whatever we raise by tomorrow night is money we can actually use – THIS week, while Michiganders still have ballots on their kitchen tables or are getting ready to head to the polls. That’s the whole thing. If we don’t hit our end-of-month goal, there’s no next month. There’s no next stretch. There’s only five days left.

And I want to be specific about what your money does in these five days, because I think you deserve to know exactly what you’re buying and why I’m being a little pushy:

It keeps our TV ad on the air. One ad airing during prime time costs more than $2,000. That’s one shot at one living room. Our ad talks about my record, shows receipts, and tells Michiganders that at the end of the day, I’m in this 100% for THEM.

It knocks doors. In a race this close, the people who decide it are the ones somebody actually talked to. Your contribution helps keep our organizers around the state working every hour to reach voters where they are.

It answers the other side. MAGA Mike Rogers has a Texas oil billionaire, the Koch network, and the full weight of the national Republican machine behind him. He recently sent out a fundraising email asking Michiganders to give him money so he can “protect Elon” Musk. That’s who we’re up against: a Florida millionaire raising money to shield the richest man on Earth while folks across this state are struggling to afford to fill their tanks.

Look, I’m the only non-millionaire in this race. I can’t self-fund. I don’t have a wealthy father-in-law like my opponent. What I have is you, and that’s the point. That’s why I’m in this. For regular, hardworking folks.

Polls show I’m the strongest Democrat to beat Mike Rogers in November – and I’m doing especially well with independents, a critical group in Michigan. The nonpartisan The Cook Political Report put it pretty bluntly: “If El-Sayed wins the primary, Democrats have little chance of holding the seat.”

That’s why Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed me. It’s why Senator Gary Peters, who has held this seat for 12 years, asked Michigan to send me to finish what he started. It’s why Congressman Jim Clyburn, former Senator Debbie Stabenow, EMILYs List, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, and 20 unions are with me. Those folks have spent their careers winning tough races in this state. They looked at this one, they did the math, and they chose to stand with me. I’m grateful.

It matters because Senate control could very well come down to what Michigan does on Aug. 4. Are we giving Democrats the best possible chance to beat Florida Mike? Or does Michigan turn red in November?

Here’s my direct ask, and then I’ll get out of your hair: Will you chip in $20 before midnight on Friday, July 31, to help us finish these last five days at full strength?

Donate

If you’ve already given, thank you. Truly. I’m honored that you’d trust me to go to the U.S. Senate and fight for you.

Believe me when I say I know there are folks reading this who are stretched thin, who’ve got their own bills to worry about, and who are frankly tired of every politician in America asking them for $5. I get it. I really do. Seagulls can be annoying.

If that’s you, please don’t give me a dime. Just do me a favor and, if you’re in Michigan, go vote. And tell a friend why you’re checking the box for Haley. That’s the part that actually decides this.

Last thing. I’ve been running this race for over a year – knocking on doors, hanging out in diners, talking to folks in union halls, walking picket lines – and I’ve never felt anything like these last few weeks. Folks are fired up and ready to go. It’s momentum. It’s enthusiasm. It’s joy and stick it to ‘em.

I love this state so much.

Michiganders are standing up to say we want a fighter. We want to keep this state blue. We want somebody who gets stuff done.

That’s me. I promise I won’t let you down.

Five days, friends. Full speed ahead. Pedal to the metal.

More soon.

With gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

It’s true. Most people who’ve met me or who get this Substack aren’t even a skosh surprised by that admission.

From manufacturing policy to jobs reports to voter data, I’m a gal who loves getting into the numbers. So I was especially interested when fellow numbers nerd Nate Silver published a whole deep-dive on our Senate race.

Nate Silver said, “Stevens has some late momentum,” and cited a couple of polls that show we’re leading the primary.

Let me nerd out for a minute and walk you through what he found, because I want this grassroots team to understand what’s happening, especially with the primary in just six days. You deserve to see the numbers I’m seeing and know how I’m thinking about all of this.

A new poll has us up by 7 points against MAGA Republican Mike Rogers. The Glengariff Group polled our primary for The Detroit News and found us leading 48 to 41. That’s good news because we’re leading (obviously), but it’s also important to note that this is an independent, A-rated pollster, and a 7-point lead.

Mallory McMorrow’s supporters are joining this grassroots team in large numbers. When Mallory suspended her campaign, the question was where her folks would go. And I want to say something directly to those folks, because I know some of you are reading this: Welcome. I know it’s tough to have your candidate drop out, but I’m glad you’re here. Mallory has been an important voice, both in this race and in the State Senate. She made me a better candidate, and I look forward to working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan.

The endorsements are coming. And I’m grateful. Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Senator Gary Peters. Congressman Jim Clyburn. I’m truly honored beyond words.

The general election numbers are popping. Looking at the highest-rated pollsters in Michigan, I’m beating MAGA Mike Rogers, while my primary opponent trails him. And that’s similar to what The Cook Political Report said: “If El-Sayed wins the primary, Democrats have little chance of holding the seat.”

That’s the state of the race, friends. Not according to me. According to the numbers and the people whose entire job and reputation is about trying to get this stuff right.

But polls can only take you so far. They aren’t a prediction or a prophecy.

These polls tell us we’re headed in the right direction. But polls don’t vote. Newsletters don’t vote. And numbers nerds only get you so far.

People vote. And Michiganders are voting right now – ballots are filled out at kitchen tables across this state and going back in the mail as I type this. We are six days from the primary on Aug. 4. A day when so much will be decided. Which party has the best chance of controlling the Senate. Whether we can put a real check on Donald Trump. Whether we fight for reproductive freedom, Social Security, affordable gas and groceries, health insurance. Everything.

I don’t want to wake up on Aug. 5 with a single regret, and I don’t want you to either. I want us to be able to say we put absolutely everything on the line when it mattered. That’s what “late momentum” really is. It’s not a permission slip to sit back, it’s an assignment. A goal. A chance to show what this grassroots team is about.

Here’s my ask: Will you help me build on this momentum? If you’re able, chip in $20 or whatever you can to help us finish these last 6 days with our foot on the gas. Knocking on more doors, making more calls, getting more air time for our ads, and more of everything that got us here.

CHIP IN

Let’s give Nate Silver something to write about on Aug. 5. Let’s tell the story of how our late momentum surged and how we’re now on track to keep Michigan blue and flip the Senate.

I’m ready to get that newsletter.

More soon.

With grit,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

DONATE

Absentee ballots are already sitting on coffee tables all across Michigan, and early voting is around the corner. The primary is one week away.

So if you are in Michigan and haven’t voted, or haven’t made your plan yet, will you take two minutes and do it right now? This site makes it super easy:

I WILL VOTE

Let me tell you why I’m asking directly.

The polls show I’m leading in the primary AND that I’m the Democrat with the best shot of defeating MAGA Republican Mike Rogers in November.

I know we can win this race, keep Michigan blue, and flip the Senate.

But none of it matters if people don’t vote.

Look, friends, I’m not in this race for attention or to get rich. I’m not here for the TV cameras or the Instagram likes. I don’t have a talent agent. I’m not in this for a book deal or a podcast. And unlike my opponents, I’m not a millionaire.

I’m in this for the folks I’ve met in union halls. For the workers I’ve talked to on shop floors. For the small-business owners, retirees, nurses, and parents in every corner of this state. I’ve been listening, learning, and working on how to solve real problems for real people.

Is that as flashy as hanging out with a celebrity podcaster? Nope.

Does it rack up views? It does not.

Does it go viral? Not unless you have a cold.

But I’m not looking for fame. I’m a public servant and I’m looking out for Michigan.

My primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, is incredibly skilled at getting attention online. Good for him. I’m skilled at getting sh*t done.

I helped save 200,000 jobs working for President Obama during the auto industry rescue. I helped write and pass the CHIPS and Science Act. And I fight for Michigan’s working families every day in Congress.

A very online crowd has spent a ton of time making fun of my voice, my clothes, my whatever. It feels like middle school. But I want them, and everyone, to know: I don’t care.

Seriously, knock yourselves out, folks. I know I’m not some overly polished influencer-celebrity-politician. Tease me all you want. I’ve got a job to do.

I’m a workhorse.

I’m going to keep showing up in real life for Michiganders, hearing their concerns, telling them my plans, and encouraging them to do the ONE thing that actually makes a difference for real people: Vote.

So if you’re in Michigan and you’ve already sent in your ballot, thank you. I’m grateful. You did something real, something meaningful, for our state and our country.

Now, will you text a friend and make sure they have a plan, too? If you haven’t, here’s that link one more time.

MAKE YOUR PLAN TO VOTE →

Donate

Let’s keep working. Let’s keep fighting. Let’s stick it to’em.

More soon.

With grit,

Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

I want you to hear this from me personally: I’m endorsing Haley Stevens to be our next U.S. senator from Michigan – and I’m proud to do it.

Haley is a shining example of what Michiganders can be at our best. She brings grit, determination, and courage to everything she does, and she does it with a care for her neighbors and community that our country needs more of.

Throughout her time in the Obama administration, she helped save over 200,000 auto industry jobs. She was something special back in those days, and since then, her years serving in Congress representing Michigan’s 11th district have only made me more confident in her abilities as a leader.

She’s the kind of fighter we need in the Senate. And there’s not a doubt in my mind that she’s got what it takes to defeat Trump’s handpicked candidate, Mike Rogers, in the general election.

Don’t take my word for it, though, folks. The polls, pundits, and even Mike Rogers himself have all been saying it: Haley Stevens is the strongest candidate to keep Michigan blue and deliver a Democratic Senate majority in November.

That’s why the GOP is throwing everything they’ve got at defeating her. They’re scared to face her in the general election – and they should be.

But with 9 days until polls close, Haley needs our help right now. Mine and yours, friend.

This is a race that will likely determine Senate control – and with it, the shape of the remainder of Trump’s presidency.

If we lose in Michigan, Democrats will lose our best shot at flipping the Senate and putting a much-needed check on the MAGA agenda. I’m not ready to let that happen, and I know you feel the same.

There’s simply too much at stake for any one of us to stay on the sidelines right now. That’s why I’m personally asking you to join me in throwing your support behind Haley’s campaign. Will you make a donation of $30 or more today to help ensure Haley’s team has the resources to win this primary so we can keep Michigan blue?

Donate

Together, we can deliver a Democratic Senate majority in November.

Thank you for standing with me in this critical moment,

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

When I started this race, I was hoping for endorsements. But I’ve been beyond humbled and honored to see so many folks I’ve worked with step up to say: I’m with Haley.

I’m so proud to watch this list on my website grow from a few colleagues in Congress to where it is now.

But the one endorsement I’m missing is the one I want most: yours.

Before you wave me off and say, “Haley, you’ve got Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Jim Clyburn, what do you need me for?” Give me a second to explain why your endorsement truly matters.

I’m doing this for you.

At the end of the day, I’m not in this race for endorsements. I’m in this race to fight for working families.

The primary is only 10 days away, and I’m not good at B.S., so I’m going to be direct: Will you endorse me right now?

ENDORSE HALEY

Here’s some of the company you’ll be joining, and why it matters:

Governor Gretchen Whitmer — if there’s anyone who knows what it means to be a champion for Michiganders – and what it takes to win in this tough battleground state – it’s Governor Whitmer.

Congressman Jim Clyburn and members of the Congressional Black Caucus know what delivering results looks like — they cited my record fighting for Michigan’s Black community and my work on the auto rescue when they endorsed. The Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus pointed to economic justice and expanding homeownership. These endorsements aren’t a formality to me. They are an assignment. They’re a vote of confidence, but also a charge to keep earning it. I don’t take that lightly.

Senator Gary Peters and Senator Debbie Stabenow know what this job takes — because between them, they’ve done it for decades. When the people who have actually held this seat and done the job pick me, they’re saying something no political analyst can: Haley is ready to get to work on Day 1.

Nineteen unions — Teamsters, IronWorkers, the trades. Union folks don’t endorse you because you’re good at Tik Tok. They endorse you because you’ve been in their halls, on their picket lines, and had their backs when it counted.

EMILY’s List — reproductive freedom is on the ballot in this race, full stop, and they back candidates who fight for it and win.

Each of those endorsements says something specific. But the more important thing is what they say together: We can win this race. We have broad support. We will keep Michigan blue.

But still, none of these endorsements are you. Your story matters, your perspective matters, and you deserve to have someone in your corner in the U.S. Senate. I’m thinking about the small-business owners I met in Kalamazoo, the nurse in Marquette, the retiree in Monroe, and the line worker in Flint.

Because when a congressperson endorses me, that’s fantastic. I’m honored. But they’re public political figures; we expect them to make endorsements. When you endorse me, that’s the thing I’m actually running for – regular working folks who want someone to fight for them.

Back in June, I asked this grassroots team to step up and endorse my campaign, and thousands of you did. Grocery clerks. Teachers. Truck drivers. Working parents. Students. I looked at every single one of those names, and I’m telling you, I was jazzed. I still am.

Yes, having Gretchen Whitmer and Jim Clyburn’s endorsement are a dream. But yours are the ones that keep me going at hour fourteen of a long day.

So with the primary just days away and Michiganders already voting, we need to show the strength of this movement. I need you, friend.

I’m personally asking: Will you officially endorse my campaign today?

ENDORSE HALEY

And if you already added your name in June – THANK YOU. I’m glad you’re on this team. Yeah, there are famous names on the list, but so is yours. That’s the point.

With grit and gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

DONATE

It’s true. Most people who’ve met me or who get this Substack aren’t even a skosh surprised by that admission.

From manufacturing policy to jobs reports to voter data, I’m a gal who loves getting into the numbers. So I was especially interested when fellow numbers nerd Nate Silver published a whole deep-dive on our Senate race.

Nate Silver said, “Stevens has some late momentum,” and cited a couple of polls that show we’re leading the primary.

Let me nerd out for a minute and walk you through what he found, because I want this grassroots team to understand what’s happening, especially with the primary in just 11 days. You deserve to see the numbers I’m seeing and know how I’m thinking about all of this.

A new poll has us up by 7 points. The Glengariff Group polled our primary for The Detroit News and found us leading 48 to 41. That’s good news because we’re leading (obviously), but it’s also important to note that this is an independent, A-rated pollster, and a 7-point lead.

Mallory McMorrow’s supporters are joining this grassroots team in large numbers. When Mallory suspended her campaign, the question was where her folks would go. And I want to say something directly to those folks, because I know some of you are reading this: Welcome. I know it’s tough to have your candidate drop out, but I’m glad you’re here. Mallory has been an important voice, both in this race and in the State Senate. She made me a better candidate, and I look forward to working with her in the future to build a stronger Michigan.

The endorsements are coming. And I’m grateful. Senator Gary Peters, the man who’s held this seat for 12 years, endorsed me to succeed him. And now Congressman Jim Clyburn – one of the most respected leaders in our party, a man who knows a thing or two about tough fights — has endorsed this campaign too. I’m truly honored beyond words.

The general election numbers are popping. Looking at the highest-rated pollsters in Michigan, I’m beating MAGA Mike Rogers, while my primary opponent trails him. And that’s similar to what The Cook Political Report said: “If El-Sayed wins the primary, Democrats have little chance of holding the seat.”

That’s the state of the race, friends. Not according to me. According to the numbers and the people whose entire job and reputation is about trying to get this stuff right.

But polls can only take you so far. They aren’t a prediction or a prophecy.

These polls tell us we’re headed in the right direction. But polls don’t vote. Newsletters don’t vote. And numbers nerds only get you so far.

People vote. And Michiganders are voting right now – ballots are filled out at kitchen tables across this state and going back in the mail as I type this. We are 11 days from the primary on Aug. 4. A day when so much will be decided. Which party has the best chance of controlling the Senate. Whether we can put a real check on Donald Trump. Whether we fight for reproductive freedom, Social Security, affordable gas and groceries, health insurance. Everything.

I don’t want to wake up on Aug. 5 with a single regret, and I don’t want you to either. I want us to be able to say we put absolutely everything on the line when it mattered. That’s what “late momentum” really is. It’s not a permission slip to sit back, it’s an assignment. A goal. A chance to show what this grassroots team is about.

Here’s my ask: Will you help me build on this momentum? If you’re able, chip in $20 or whatever you can to help us finish these last 11 days with our foot on the gas. Knocking on more doors, making more calls, getting more air time for our ads, and more of everything that got us here.

CHIP IN

Let’s give Nate Silver something to write about on Aug. 5. Let’s tell the story of how our late momentum surged and how we’re now on track to keep Michigan blue and flip the Senate.

I’m ready to get that newsletter.

More soon.

With grit,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

DONATE

I never thought I’d type that sentence in this newsletter. But I never thought RFK Jr. would be so bad at his job that I’d devote an entire Substack to warning people that their lettuce may contain a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea.

And I never thought I’d type the word “diarrhea” this many times in one post, but buckle up, that’s the world right now.

More than 6,500 Michiganders have gotten sick. It’s the worst year for this parasite in American history, and Michigan is the epicenter.

Behind every one of those numbers is somebody’s kid missing summer camp, somebody’s mom missing shifts she can’t afford to miss, somebody’s grandpa in an ER bed because of a Caesar salad.

So the question every Michigander deserves an answer to is: How the heck did this happen?

I’ve been yelling about this for a year. I wish I were wrong.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration took a chainsaw to our public health system. Thousands of food safety and public health jobs were cut, and career scientists were purged. And FoodNet, the CDC’s early-warning system for foodborne illness, went from tracking eight pathogens down to two.

They kneecapped the system to watch out for foodborne illness. One year later, cyclospora showed up.

Former CDC Director Robert Redfield (who was appointed by Donald Trump, btw) said cutting this surveillance was contrary to the country’s interest, because surveillance is “the key to early identification.”

If you’ve been reading this newsletter or following politics a while, you know this isn’t a new soapbox for me. Last September, I announced I was drafting articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. I formally introduced them because he’d fired the CDC director, purged the scientists, gutted the research, and misled the Senate under oath.

Now this outbreak happened. And now everyone knows RFK Jr.’s negligence is making us less safe.

This is what it looks like when the invisible system that quietly protects you goes away. It looks like 6,500 Michiganders glued to their toilets, signs on the Taco Bell counter, and a state government teaching us all to wash lettuce like it’s 1826.

This is why a U.S. Senate that actually looks out for people is so critical. RFK Jr. has this job because the Senate confirmed him. The Senate is supposed to keep guys like RFK Jr. from, well … this. When the Republican Senate is a rubber stamp for Trump, you get RFK Jr.

And when you get RFK Jr., you get explosive diarrhea spreading around the country.

This is what is at stake in November. MAGA Mike Rogers will do whatever Trump says. He’s proved that again and again. This Senate seat in Michigan is the difference between a government that watches out for you and one that fires the watchers, calls it efficiency, and denies accountability.

I’m running because I give a damn about your family. I want your kids, parents, and friends to be safe and healthy. That used to be the bare minimum for the Senate. Now, it’s all about the GOP kissing Trump’s ring.

OK. Before I let you go, I’m going to do the thing RFK Jr.’s department should be doing louder: actual public health guidance, from one Michigander to another. Here’s what the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends right now:

• Buy whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged or premixed salad kits.

• Throw away the outer two or three layers of leaves and wash the rest under running water.

• When you can cook it, cook it. Heat kills this thing, but rewashing bagged greens doesn’t.

• If you have diarrhea that lasts more than a few days, call your doctor. Ask about cyclosporiasis testing; it’s very treatable with the right antibiotics.

And please, check on your neighbors, especially the older folks. If somebody is sick, bring them soup or offer to drive them to the doctor. It doesn’t matter what political party they belong to; we gotta take care of each other. That’s the Michigan way.

If this post made you mad, good. Take action. Share this post with somebody. Speak up. Support my campaign or others who are speaking out against RFK Jr. This chaos simply must stop.

There’s a lot going on in the world, and the people who did this are counting on it being too gross and too boring to talk about.

Let’s hold them accountable.

And if RFK Jr. doesn’t like me saying all of this. Well, go enjoy some unwashed lettuce, sir.

With grit,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

I’m excited for you to watch it:

WATCH THE AD

We decided to go with this ad because it’s about why I love this state. It’s personal. It’s my story of growing up here in Michigan and what it means to be a part of the middle class. How my parents, who ran a small business, taught me what a hard day’s work means and how that drove me to pursue a career in manufacturing.

That’s why when I say I’m fighting for Michigan’s working families, it’s not a talking point written by some out-of-touch, well-paid consultant. That’s my life. It’s the reason I’m in this fight.

That’s the story this ad tells. And for the next two weeks, we need it to be in living rooms all across Michigan – during the news, during the game, in between the shows Michiganders are watching.

Getting this ad out there matters more right now than it ever has. The primary is 14 days away, and many Michiganders are voting right now. Fourteen days. That’s how long this ad has to reach every voter it can.

I want to pull the curtain back a bit on our campaign strategy and tell you why this TV ad matters so much right now.

You probably know this is now a two-person race, and the polls show I’m the best Democrat to beat MAGA Mike Rogers in November. The Cook Political Report – one of the most respected, nonpartisan election forecasters in the country – even said: “If El-Sayed wins the primary, Democrats have little chance of holding the seat.”

That’s why Gary Peters, the man who’s held this seat for 12 years, just endorsed me. Everyone knows Senate control will come down to what happens in Michigan. We can’t mess around.

Let me tell you what TV time actually costs: Running our ad one time during prime time, like during a Tigers game, costs more than $2,000. It’s expensive, but it’s a chance for thousands of voters to meet me in their living room. And the data shows TV ads have the potential to really help. That’s why we’re doing it.

Listen, I don’t come from money. I’m not a millionaire. I don’t have (or want) a bunch of billionaire backers like Mike Rogers, who had $82.3 million in ad support behind him last cycle.

But this TV ad exists – my story exists – because this team believed a geeky middle-class kid fueled by a love for Michiganders and a relentless doggedness, belonged in this race.

I’m asking: if you’re able, will you chip in what you can today and help keep this ad on the air through the primary? You’ll help us reach folks in every corner of the state these next two weeks.

CHIP IN

Thank you so much.

More soon.

With grit and gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

Folks, let me ask you something:

Are you sick and tired of Trump’s MAGA minions running roughshod over every value our nation claims to hold dear? Of them doing their darndest to strip our rights away right in front of our eyes? Of watching our nation’s progress get dragged backward by the crackpot GOP?

Yes?

THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

There’s a clear path to stopping the extremist GOP in its tracks and turning Trump’s second term into the lamest lame-duck presidency this country’s ever seen.

And that path runs through Michigan.

Right now, Haley Stevens is in the fight of her life.

She’s raising hell and working around the clock to make sure Michigan stays blue so Democrats have more than a snowball’s chance in hell of flipping the Senate in November, and let me tell you: She’s really up against it.

Now, if you know one thing about me, it’s that I’ve been doing this for so long that I make dirt look young. So when I tell you that the kind of money being thrown into beating Haley is historic, it’s something you can take to the bank.

Her opponents are spending eye-watering amounts of money to take down her momentum – and she needs some serious muscle to help her fight back.

There’s a real reason for all this crazy spending. The GOP knows that if Haley wins her primary, Trump’s handpicked darling for Michigan, Mike Rogers, is going straight back to Florida, where he came from.

And if Haley beats Rogers in November like we ALL know she can, they kiss their chances at keeping the Senate majority goodbye.

That’s not something they’re going to leave to chance.

But if they think Democrats like me are going to roll over and let them have Michigan, they’ve got another thing coming.

I’m jumping into this race right alongside Haley because I know she’s got what it takes to bring home the win, not just for Michigan but for all of us. And I need you to get off the sidelines and get in this with us, folks.

I’ll cut to the chase: The next big deadline for Haley’s campaign is tomorrow at midnight. She needs to blow this thing out of the water, and to do that, she needs YOU. Will you rush $10 NOW to help her hit her $50,000 goal so we can flip the Senate blue and stop the MAGA madness?

Donate

I’m counting on you. Haley is counting on you. Michigan is counting on you.

Now let’s give ‘em hell.

James Carville

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

The numbers from the second fundraising quarter of this race are in. I won’t bore you with all the details, but the TL;DR is this:

The GOP candidate, Mike Rogers, is outraising us.

Now, I’ll say this: Money isn’t the only thing that matters in a race like this. But with our first TV ads on the air, we need the funds to keep it there to reach Michiganders across the state.

We have momentum on our side. We have polling on our side. And this race is far from over. There’s a lot that can happen between now and when polls close on Aug. 4, and I’m not throwing in the towel until the votes are in and counted and the people of Michigan have spoken.

But if these numbers tell us anything, it’s that our opponents are scared.

They’re scared because they know that I have what it takes to win.

They’re scared because they know I have a secret weapon: you.

That’s why they’re going all out to keep this movement down. They’re trying to drown us out, and they think that if they flood this race with cash, supporters like you will get scared and back down.

I’m counting on you to prove them wrong, folks. I’m counting on you to do what I’ve seen Michiganders do time and time again: keep showing up to try and make our state a better place.

Together, we can keep building on the momentum we’ve been gathering over the past months and carry it all the way to victory. Together, we can keep Michigan blue and stop the GOP takeover of our state. Together, we can be the final key to flipping the Senate.

Are you in? Because this is where I need you.

We only have a few weeks left before the primary, so if you’ve been nodding along as you read this, will you chip in now to help my team and me close the fundraising gap before it’s too late to catch up?

Thank you for never giving up on this movement, friends.

With grit and gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

He’s wearing one of those tech-guy fleece vests, strolling through a factory, posing next to a drill press, and drinking a beer in a bar. Because I guess all of that is supposed to say I’m a working Michigander?

You may remember his previous ad, where he wore a brand-new Carhartt jacket and pretended to be an expert in Michigan manufacturing. Well, now it’s the fleece vest, and he’s pretending to be middle class. The ad even says that’s “who we are.”

Respectfully, I disagree.

Let me tell you who Mike Rogers is: Mike Rogers is a super-rich Florida man with a giant waterfront mansion. In the winter, when Michiganders are scraping ice off their windshields in the cold, Mike Rogers is enjoying the palm trees at his mansion in Cape Coral and his two luxury yachts. (No joke, Google it.)

That’s Mike Rogers. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing on the beach, but there’s something deeply wrong with being a carpetbagger millionaire who films himself at a factory and tells Michigan he’s one of us.

Rogers doesn’t know anything about Michigan grit. Most Florida millionaires don’t.

But I know who we are. The Michigan way is folks busting their tails – it’s calloused hands, shop floors, union halls. It’s pride. It’s building things that last. It’s standing up for your neighbor. It’s having the backs of your fellow workers. It’s about looking out for community. It’s not about hightailing it to your Florida mansion.

So here’s what I want to say to Mike Rogers directly: Standing next to a drill press doesn’t make you a fighter for the people who run it. Chatting with workers for a camera crew before flying home to Florida is not the same as working like hell to keep their factory open. And having a beer with some folks in a Michigan bar doesn’t change your values. It doesn’t suddenly give you credit. Working families shouldn’t trust you, despite your (literal) costume changes.

I’ve actually done the work. I served as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s auto rescue when the whole world was ready to write off Michigan, and we helped save 200,000 jobs here. I helped write and pass the CHIPS and Science Act to bring manufacturing back to American soil, and to Michigan.

I didn’t stop to shoot a commercial to make sure everybody saw how working-class I was. I was too busy busting my tail for the people who actually run those factories.

So let’s be honest about what Mike Rogers would actually do for Michigan’s working families: exactly what Donald Trump has done. That’s who he answers to. Trump endorsed him (twice), MAGA billionaires fund him, and if he ever made it to the Senate, he’d vote however they tell him to. Rogers doesn’t care if your grocery bill goes up, if gas prices skyrocket again, or if you lose your health insurance. He cares about looking like he cares.

This ad just started running, and there is a heap of money behind it. Last cycle, Mike Rogers had $82.3 million in ad support from Republicans for his Senate campaign. He lost anyway, because Michiganders know B.S. when they see it.

But the out-of-state far-right billionaires funding him are going to run it back, bigger. The fleece vest is going to be in your living room, on your phone, and in the middle of your Tigers games – then your Lions and Red Wings and Pistons games – from now until November.

It’s going to be exhausting.

So here’s the plainest thing I can tell you about how we fight back: We keep our new TV ad on the air.

Their MAGA Trump consultants think a guy who walks around factories talking about being middle class is going to win votes here. They think Michiganders can’t tell the difference. But Rogers is a fake. He wouldn’t know the Michigan way if it bit him on the keester.

Our ads tell the truth: about my record, about fighting for working families, about who actually shows up for Michigan. Keeping them running is the single most strategic thing this campaign can do right now, and I truly can’t do it without you.

So if you’re able, will you chip in today, drown out Mike Rogers’ ads, and help us keep telling Michiganders the truth while people are starting to vote absentee?

We have to win this primary, beat Mike Rogers, flip the Senate, and stop Donald Trump – and all of it starts with fighting back against this ad. It’s simple, but it’s true. That’s where your $20 donation goes. Telling the world who Mike Rogers really is.

Donate

Mike Rogers can keep the vest. He can keep the Florida mansion and the luxury yachts, too.

But Michigan is ours.

With grit,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

Democrats must win Michigan to take back the Senate. It is clear El-Sayed is the weakest Democrat running in the primary, with independent analysts concluding “If Abdul El-Sayed wins, Democrats will lose” in November. Republicans agree, and that’s why they’re spending big to boost El-Sayed’s campaign. If El-Sayed wins the primary, it will mean Donald Trump keeps a majority in the Senate and keeps passing his agenda.

More info can be found here.

I am honored to announce that Congressman Jim Clyburn is endorsing my campaign for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.

It’s been a privilege to work alongside him in the House for the past seven years.

Together, we have passed crucial legislation to help working families all over the country and stood up for what’s right when Republicans have tried to drag our nation backward.

Folks, this is a man who knows what it takes to fight – and he knows what it takes to win.

To have his stamp of approval is deeply humbling and inspiring.

Since my first day in Congress, I’ve seen him model the kind of leadership that is rooted in service, creates meaningful change, and keeps community at the heart of everything.

That is what being a member of Congress is all about. Jim Clyburn is one of our nation’s greatest examples of how to do it. He has the respect, admiration, and trust of his colleagues, his constituents, and Americans on both sides of the aisle because of it.

Jim Clyburn understands just how crucial keeping our state blue is right now.

He knows what we’ve been saying all along: The stakes are high in this battleground race. Senate control will very likely come down to Michigan. And the polls consistently show I’m the Democrat with the best chance at defeating Mike Rogers.

That’s why Congressman Clyburn is jumping into this race.

Because the truth is none of us can afford to pretend this is just another election – that no matter the outcome, everything will be fine in November. Losing this race isn’t an option.

This is a turning point. Costs are too high. Working families are struggling. And instead of helping lower costs for regular folks, Republicans are pandering to Trump and their MAGA billionaire donors – while doing their level best to strip away our basic rights and erode our democracy.

This is a five-alarm fire. Rep. Clyburn knows what it takes to meet this kind of moment because he’s been putting in the work for years.

And to have his support sends a clear message to everyone watching – our opponents, pundits, and voters alike: This team has what it takes to win.

I am so grateful for this endorsement because it means that he believes in me and knows I can carry on the fight and meet the urgency of this moment with integrity, determination, and grit.

But more than that, I am grateful for his leadership. For his trust. For a chance to keep working alongside champions like him as we continue to fight for progress.

And I’m more fired up than ever to win.

But to do that, I’m going to need all the power of this entire team behind me.

That’s why I’m asking you to join Congressman Clyburn and lend your support to this campaign by chipping in any amount today. Every dollar gets us that much closer to winning in Michigan and flipping the Senate.

Donate

Thank you so much for being with me in this fight.

With grit and gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate

Here’s a life tip! This is a foolproof way to bring conversation at a backyard BBQ to a screeching halt: stand up, shush the crowd, and say, “Hey everybody, can we please stop grilling and playing cornhole for a second so I can talk about the upcoming pre-primary Federal Election Commission deadline?”

You’ll get stunned looks every time. Someone may spontaneously fall asleep.

Look, I know FEC deadlines aren’t the most exciting thing in the world. But they REALLY matter for grassroots campaigns like ours – and midnight on July 15 is the biggest deadline of this entire campaign. It’s also why I’m going to ask you to chip in $20 in a second.

OK, so here’s the FEC rule in plain English: Before every election, campaigns have to file one last public report, and it has to capture everything up to 20 days before Election Day. For us, that report covers July 1 through July 15.

So in that window (right NOW), we need to show the world exactly how strong this campaign is.

And everyone will be looking. Tons of media outlets. National Republicans. The MAGA megadonors deciding how many millions more to dump into Michigan. They’ll all open that report and see whether this people-powered campaign has the fuel to finish the primary strong and win the general.

Friends, there’s no next primary FEC deadline after this one. The numbers EVERYBODY sees before the primary get locked in on July 15 – while ballots are already filled out at kitchen tables across Michigan and going back in the mail right now.

This is the last public test of strength before the August 4 primary. It’s now or never.

I won’t sugarcoat it: I’m not rich. I’m the only non-millionaire in this race, so I can’t self-fund. I don’t have a wealthy father-in-law. Mike Rogers has billionaires backing him. The Koch network is spending big. National Republicans are even meddling in our primary to prop up my opponent because they’d rather face him in November than face me.

But here’s what we’ve got: thousands of hardworking folks – teachers, retirees, union workers, small-business owners – who chip in what they can because they believe Michigan deserves a senator who actually understands them and will fight for them.

That’s what wins races in Michigan. Not flashy internet stars. Not likes on social media. It’s working people who look at me and this movement and say, “Yeah, that lady seems like she actually cares about me. She gives a damn about Michiganders.”

And I do! This whole campaign is a love letter to Michigan. Now I need your help to write the next paragraph.

So here’s my direct ask, with the FEC deadline coming up: will you chip in $20 before midnight on July 15 to make sure this last report shows exactly what we’re made of? Let’s show the strength of this campaign and keep Michigan blue. Together.

CHIP IN

And I promise, next time I’ll have better conversation starters for your backyard BBQ than the financial nuances of the Federal Election Commission deadlines. Until then, here’s the real tip: bring loads of Koegel’s brats. You can never have enough. Everybody will want a couple.

With gratitude,
Haley

A personal note from Haley 👋

I’m a lifelong Michigander and the daughter of small-business owners. I’ve spent my career fighting for Michigan’s working families – and now I’m running for the U.S. Senate to keep standing up for the people I love.

But here’s the truth: Senate control could come down to Michigan. And Trump and his megadonors know it. That’s why they’re gearing up to spend tens of millions to defeat me and hand this seat to a MAGA Republican.

I need your help to fight back. This race will be one of the most competitive – and expensive – in the country, and I’m counting on grassroots support to win. 

If you’re with me, will you chip in today?

Donate