Haley Stevens is one of the most talked-about names in the 2026 Michigan Senate race. The Democratic congresswoman is running to replace retiring U.S. Senator Gary Peters in what has become one of the most closely watched primaries of the cycle. The Michigan Democratic primary is on August 4, 2026, with Stevens facing off against Abdul El-Sayed, state senator Mallory McMorrow, and several other candidates for the nomination.
Find out more about the congresswoman and her Senate bid below.
Haley Stevens Is a U.S. Congresswoman From Michigan
Stevens has represented Michigan’s 11th Congressional District since January 2019. She first flipped the suburban Detroit-area seat in 2018 and has won re-election three times since, most recently in November 2024 with 58.2% of the vote. Her district covers much of Oakland County, including many of Detroit’s northern suburbs. She sits on the House Education and Workforce Committee and has focused on manufacturing, labor, and technology policy throughout her time in Congress.
Haley Stevens Worked on Obama’s Auto Industry Rescue
Before running for office, Stevens served as chief of staff for the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry under President Barack Obama during the 2008 financial crisis. She helped manage the federal government’s response to the collapse of the U.S. auto sector, a role that gave her deep ties to Michigan’s manufacturing base. She later worked at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute in Chicago before returning to Michigan to run for Congress.
How Old Is Haley Stevens?
Stevens is 43 years old. She was born on June 24, 1983, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. She graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan, before earning both a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy and a master’s degree in social policy and philosophy from American University in Washington, D.C.
Is Haley Stevens Married?
Stevens married software engineer Rob Gulley in September 2021 in a small outdoor ceremony in Michigan. The couple had met in high school and reconnected in 2017. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel officiated the wedding, according to Fox 2 Detroit. Stevens and Gulley announced their divorce in 2022. She has not publicly discussed her personal life in detail since then.
Haley Stevens Is Running for U.S. Senate
Stevens announced her Senate bid in April 2025, entering the race to succeed the retiring Peters. She has framed her campaign around protecting Michigan’s auto industry from tariffs and fighting what she has called the “Trump-Musk chaos agenda.” Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Stevens in May 2025. The primary on August 4, 2026, is considered a critical test for Democrats hoping to hold the seat in the November general election against the Republican nominee.
