U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently endorsed Michigan’s Haley Stevens for the state’s Senate race. The endorsement did not sit well with some locals, however, as multiple Michigan voters believed that Schumer was far from the ideal Democratic candidate they would likely vote for.
According to reports from Punchbowl News, Chuck Schumer endorsed Stevens by saying that she has “the best chance to win” the primaries among all candidates. It was already known that Stevens was his preferred candidate, but the endorsement made his position official. While Stevens was recently criticized for ties to an AIPAC-funded group, she is one of the three Democrats running in the primaries.
Stevens will face Abdul El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow in the primaries, and then the Republican Mike Rogers if she is to become a U.S. Senator. The race is considered a key battleground for Democrats, who hope to regain control of the Senate following the midterms.
Michigan Residents Aren’t Thrilled With Haley Stevens
It’s possible that Schumer’s endorsement of Stevens may not help the candidate so much, though, as many on Reddit’s r/Michigan criticized the action. One of them said, “What a glowing endorsement of Abdul! Thanks, Schumer.” Another one asked: “Are there really any Democrats who have any confidence in Schumer or trust his endorsement? This feels more like a negative.”
A seemingly Democratic voter said, “The tone deafness of the Democratic Party is insufferable. We don’t want more conservative AIPAC Democrats; we want PROGRESS.” Another local claimed that this “plays perfectly into Abdul’s messaging of ‘the people vs. the broken establishment.’ He’s been waiting to tie Schumer around Stevens to drag her down.”
Some folks claimed that, despite not liking Schumer, they would still vote for Stevens in case she won the primaries, though: “I prefer El Sayed, but regardless of who wins the primary, we can’t afford Mike Rogers. Use the primary to vote ideology, but both sides need to come together for the nominee.”
Regardless of who wins the primaries, the Senate race is seen as a huge moment for the Democratic Party to establish more political control over the country, so it’s likely that it’ll be an intense dispute.
