Rep. Haley Stevens defeated Rep. Andy Levin in the latest member-versus-member primary Tuesday night, ending a months-long battle that pitted the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings against one another.
Levin, the more progressive of the two lawmakers, is a vocal member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and received support from high-profile backers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who campaigned for the congressman in Michigan last weekend. Stevens, meanwhile, the considerably more moderate lawmaker, received endorsements from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Michigan stalwart Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI).
The two were the latest victims as a result of redistricting, which merged their pre-existing districts. While the majority of the newly created district was originally represented by Stevens, Levin touted his family’s ties in the area, where his father was also a congressman. While the other two Democratic member-versus-member primaries this year remained relatively tame, Levin and Stevens’ race was infused with a slew of outside spending and heated debates over policy issues, including the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Stevens will likely face little difficulty with re-election this November, as Michigan’s 11th District remains heavily Democratic.
