{"id":2645357,"date":"2026-08-15T07:38:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T11:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-realize-they-love-haley-stevens-just-a-little-too-late\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T07:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T11:41:17","slug":"democrats-realize-they-love-haley-stevens-just-a-little-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-realize-they-love-haley-stevens-just-a-little-too-late\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats realize they love Haley Stevens, just a little too late"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-realize-they-love-haley-stevens-just-a-little-too-late%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2645357&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Democrats are reassessing their support for Rep.Haley Stevens (D-MI) after initially backing Abdul el Sayed in their primary for the U.S.Senate. although el Sayed narrowly won the primary,recent polls show stevens gaining popularity,partly due to her quirky personality and campaign appearances that resonate better with voters. During the primary,she faced criticism for her accent and delivery,but her post-election interviews have gone viral,boosting her image. Some Democrats see her as the same candidate who faced criticism, but now responding more effectively, while others believe her changing image is due to the natural decline of a candidate during a campaign. meanwhile, el sayed is underperforming among key voter groups and faces a competitive race against Republican Mike Rogers. Stevens has also faced backlash from her own party for her endorsements and perceived associations, but she is actively turning her viral moments into campaign strengths, asserting her connection to Michigan voters and fighting against elitist critiques.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats are only now realizing they like Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) more than a week after deciding to nominate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abdul-el-sayed\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"23138\">Abdul el Sayed<\/a>, a former Michigan health official who ran to Stevens\u2019s left in their primary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11675\">election<\/a> for the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less than a week after el Sayed won their primary election by 1 percentage point, Stevens\u2019s quirkiness is earning her newfound fans as polls find el Sayed behind Republican opponent former Rep. Mike Rogers.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4687074\/haley-stevens-charms-democratic-detractors-after-primary-loss\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democrats realize they love Haley Stevens, just a little too late<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4687497\/non-campaign-events-rural-america-2026-elections\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Non-campaign, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/local-road-events-bring-politicians-in-front-of-rural-small-town-america\/\" title=\"Local road events bring politicians in front of rural, small-town America\">local road events bring politicians<\/a> in front of rural, small-town, and apolitical America<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4688462\/tony-sabio-republican-veteran-virginia-8th-district\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Who is Tony Sabio? Meet the Republican veteran trying to flip Virginia\u2019s 8th District<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During their primary, Stevens was mocked for her <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"655\">Michigan<\/a> accent and enthusiastic delivery of a since-viral \u201cstick it to \u2018em\u201d campaign address.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan Democratic political consultant and commentator Adolph Mongo, for example, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that the \u201conly voters that didn\u2019t buy\u201d el Sayed\u2019s \u201cbulls*** were black voters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s not going to get our support in November,\u201d said Mongo, who is black.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stevens did outperform el Sayed last week in Detroit by 6 points, and a Fox News poll published this week reported that el Sayed is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/fox-news-poll-senate-battle-looms-michigan\">underperforming among black voters<\/a>, women, and suburban voters compared to former Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan in her 2024 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That Fox News poll also reported that Rogers has a polling advantage over el Sayed, 51% to 47%, though that edge is within the survey\u2019s margin of error.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Stevens is going viral again for her post-primary election interviews and campaign appearances for other Democrats, including Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley, whose opponent is her colleague, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI). This time, however, she is receiving more positive reviews.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s deeply conservative, and his big priority is wolves,\u201d she told CNN this week of Tiffany. \u201cCrowley, on the other hand, is an executive operator, and I think he\u2019s, you know, moving and grooving to this governorship, and it\u2019s amazing. Also, 40-year-old black man \u2026 This is cool stuff. It\u2019s a good time to be a Democrat.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rep. Haley Stevens says Tom Tiffany is obsessed with hunting wolves. <\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfa5: CNN <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PoPn66UJkG\">pic.twitter.com\/PoPn66UJkG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 TMZ (@TMZ) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TMZ\/status\/2087596368541921545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chamber of Progress Founder and CEO Adam Kovacevich replied to a clip of the interview, among others, quipping, \u201cWhere was this Haley Stevens during her campaign?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">where was this Haley Stevens during her campaign?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Kovacevich (@adamkovac) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adamkovac\/status\/2087707376312852622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s a sentiment reflected by several Democrats, especially those online, who criticized Stevens for coming off as awkward and robotic throughout her campaign. Her newfound charm comes amid worry that el Sayed, who has aligned himself with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), could jeopardize a critical seat for Democrats if they want to flip the Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She was seen as the moderate and, perhaps, more electable choice than el Sayed, something particularly relevant given the recent polling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stevens also drew heat from the Democratic base for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee\u2019s support of her and her endorsement by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), contributing to her negative image and amplifying the criticisms against her.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Me when they were doing the roll call at the 2024 DNC <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9sAgpKHAxg\">pic.twitter.com\/9sAgpKHAxg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Keith (@nagy_minaj) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nagy_minaj\/status\/2088049548337786990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, some Michigan Democrats insist Stevens is the same woman off the trail as she was on the trail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about Stevens\u2019s uptick in popularity, Macomb County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Alysa Diebolt pointed to last weekend\u2019s unity picnic in Michigan\u2019s 10th Congressional District and a conversation she had with an aide to Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her own primary campaign last month.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHaley was there to introduce Christina Hines as the CD10 Dem nominee, and someone who worked with the McMorrow team said to me, \u2018You know, when she\u2019s not actively your opponent, she\u2019s actually pretty endearing,\u2019\u201d Diebolt told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cSo, I think we are seeing the same woman, but she has gotten a good night\u2019s sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic strategist and Michigan native Chris Meagher agreed, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Stevens is \u201cthe same person she was during the campaign.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Meagher, a former spokesman for one-time President Joe Biden and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), added, \u201cPeople are just treating her differently and responding to her differently now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Michigan Republican strategist concurred, contending that, \u201cThere\u2019s something to losing that has that effect on voters.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[The] candidate is less robotic because they don\u2019t care as much, and voters who disliked them don\u2019t care as much either since they\u2019re no longer a threat to their preferred candidate,\u201d the strategist told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dennis Lennox, another Michigan Republican strategist, was more dismissive of Stevens, adamant that the congresswoman is \u201cweird\u201d and  el Sayed \u201cis weirder.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4685349\/nikki-haley-goes-all-in-ralph-norman-against-trump-backed-darline-graham-nordone\/\"><strong>NIKKI HALEY GOES ALL IN FOR RALPH NORMAN AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED DARLINE GRAHAM NORDONE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the criticism, Stevens turned the viral \u201cstick it to \u2019em\u201d clip into a campaign ad and leaned into it on the campaign trail, arguing that her critics were making fun of Michigan, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome of \u2019em might be the coastal elites, making fun of how I talk,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re making fun of Michigan. They\u2019re thinking they\u2019re better than us. Their jokes and their criticism only make me fight harder.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats finally favor Haley Stevens over Abdul el Sayed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2645358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26217175872671_c3d50e.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3685,55722,84209,39216,32515],"class_list":["post-2645357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democrats","tag-haley-stevens","tag-late-realization","tag-political-reactions","tag-us-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26217175872671_c3d50e.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2645357"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2645361,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645357\/revisions\/2645361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2645358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2645357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2645357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2645357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}