INTRAPARTY BLOODBATH

The duel involving Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, Clawson,  western Oakland and Wayne counties) and Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Macomb County) over the new 11th District of Congress, encompassing the majority of Oakland County, continues to get nastier by the day, with mud being thrown consistently by Levin’s campaign and surrogates for Stevens. Much of the vitriol can presumably be attributed to desperation on the part of Levin’s peeps, as financial filings, revealed on July 15, show that the more moderate Stevens outraised the stridently progressive Levin once again. Her haul for the second quarter of 2022 was over $1 million, for $4.7 million this election cycle, and she has $1.8 million cash on hand. Levin, meanwhile, raised $555,218.25, for $2.6 million this election cycle. He has $1.1 million cash on hand. Many political consultants believe the adage that the person with the most bucks wins but that ignores the boots on the ground approach to victory, which both campaigns are also strongly pursuing. Their voting records are nearly identical but that hasn’t stopped the Levin camp from muddying up the landscape by claiming Stevens had not voted for the $15 minimum wage, along with other falsehoods. Levin’s main themes are touting his union organizing work, which some question as not as salable in the new district as the candidate would believe. He has also cloaked himself in the mantle as the candidate who – late in the game – is not accepting corporate PAC contributions. Stevens, meanwhile, continues to bill herself as Oakland County’s congresswoman, sticking with her script about her record as having worked with manufacturers in the district, pushed for broadened STEM opportunities for young women, and was an Obama team member who helped save and resurrect the auto business. But things turned darker with just weeks left before the August 2 vote. Outside PACs – funded by pro-Israel groups, AIPAC-backed United Democracy Project which is pro-Stevens and J Street, supporting Levin – are slamming their group’s opponent. J Street is trying to falsely park Stevens in the camp with January 6 insurrectionists because one of the PACs supporting her has also donated to tainted Republicans. Pro-Stevens groups took to the airwaves with ads attempting to shame Levin for false advertising. As Punchbowl noted, it’s made for one nasty member-on-member primary. “Evoking one of the darkest days in the history of our country in an attack ad against a sitting Democrat who voted twice to impeach Donald Trump and who lived through January 6 on Capitol Hill is dangerous and in extremely poor taste,” Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) told Punchbowl