Haley Stevens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haley Stevens
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Dave Trott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Haley Maria Stevens
June 24, 1983 Rochester Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Rob Gulley
(m. 2021; div. 2022) |
| Education | American University (BA, MA) |
| Website | |
Haley Maria Stevens was born on June 24, 1983. She is an American politician who serves as a U.S. Representative for Michigan's 11th district. She has held this position since 2019. As a member of the Democratic Party, Stevens represents many of the northern suburbs of Detroit in Oakland County. She is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan in 2026.
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Haley Stevens' Early Life and Career
Haley Stevens grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan. She went to Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan. After high school, she attended American University. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy. She also received a master's degree in social policy and philosophy from the same university.
In 2006, Stevens began her career in politics. She worked for the Michigan Democratic Party as a field organizer. The next year, in 2007, she joined Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Later, she moved to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign after he won the Democratic primary.
In 2009, Stevens was hired to work on the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry. This group helped the American car industry during a difficult time. After that, she worked in Chicago for a group focused on digital manufacturing. She returned to Michigan in 2017.
Haley Stevens in the U.S. House of Representatives
How She Was Elected
2018 Election for Congress
In 2017, Haley Stevens moved back to Rochester Hills to run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. This seat was for Michigan's 11th district. The district had been represented by Republican Dave Trott. When Trott announced he would retire, the seat became open.
Stevens won the primary election for the Democratic Party. She then defeated Republican businesswoman Lena Epstein in the main election. Her win, along with Elissa Slotkin's victory in a nearby district, was a big moment. It was the first time since the 1930s that no Republicans represented Oakland County in the House. Stevens became the first Democrat to represent the 11th district for a full term since 2003.
Stevens and Colin Allred, who also worked for the Obama administration, were chosen to lead the new Democratic members of Congress. In October 2019, Stevens held a meeting about gun violence. Some protesters interrupted the event. Stevens responded by saying, "This is why the NRA has got to go."
2020 Reelection Campaign
Stevens ran for reelection in 2020. She did not have any opponents in the Democratic primary election. In the general election, she won against the Republican candidate, Eric Esshaki. The race was closer than some people expected.
2022 Election and District Changes
Due to changes in population, Michigan lost one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. This meant that the district lines were redrawn. Stevens' home was placed in a new district that was also represented by fellow Congressman Andy Levin. This new 11th District was considered a safe Democratic area.
Stevens decided to move into the new district and challenge Levin for the seat. Reports showed that she spent much more money on her campaign than Levin did. A lot of her support came from groups that support Israel. These groups spent millions of dollars to help her campaign. Stevens won against Andy Levin with 60% of the votes. Her victory was helped by significant funding from groups like EMILY's List and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
In the general election, Stevens won against Republican Mark Ambrose. She received 61.3% of the votes.
2024 Reelection
In 2024, Stevens faced Ahmed Ghanim in the Democratic primary. She won the primary with a large majority of 87.1% of the votes. In the general election, she was reelected. She won against Republican Nick Somberg and Green Party candidate Douglas Campbell with 58.2% of the votes.
In March 2023, Stevens voted with other Democrats against a bill. This bill was proposed by Republicans and aimed to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
After Joe Biden's debate performance in the 2024 presidential election, Stevens publicly supported him. She stated that she trusted him to "finish the job." When Kamala Harris became the new nominee, Stevens quickly endorsed her.
Committees and Groups She Belongs To
Haley Stevens works on several important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
- Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
- Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Research and Technology (She is the Ranking Member, meaning the top member from the minority party)
- Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
She is also a member of several groups, called caucuses, in Congress:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Problem Solvers Caucus
- Rare Disease Caucus
Haley Stevens' Political Views
Stevens voted to show support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This happened during protests against the agency. She also strongly opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. She believes it tries to question Israel's right to exist. Stevens visited Israel in 2019 and said the trip was very important to her.
Haley Stevens' Personal Life
Haley Stevens lives in Birmingham, Michigan. She was engaged to Rob Gulley, a software engineer she knew from high school, in 2020. They got married on September 3, 2021. However, on October 5, 2022, Stevens and Gulley announced that they were getting divorced.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2019
