At press time, the final results were still being tallied. As of 10:50 p.m., Stevens had 58,645 votes to Levin’s 39,148 in Oakland County, representing roughly 70% of the electorate.
By: Andy Kozlowski | C&G Newspapers | Published August 2, 2022 | Updated August 5, 2022 8:35am
METRO DETROIT — On the night of the Aug. 2 primary election, before the final results were tallied, Andy Levin conceded defeat to Haley Stevens. Her victory was confirmed the following day.
It was a battle between two Democratic congressional officeholders seeking to advance to the November election and a chance to continue serving, now in the state’s newly redrawn 11th District of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to state totals, Stevens had 70,478 votes to Levin’s 47,117.
Among the Republican candidates, Mark Ambrose won soundly with 42,275 votes to Matthew DenOtter’s 17,701.
In a statement released by his office at 10:37 p.m. on election night, Levin, currently an incumbent in what has been District 9, conceded the primary contest. He congratulated Stevens, the incumbent in the current District 11, saying she ran “a strong campaign,” and that he will support her and work with her and others to elect Democrats at all levels of government.
“I’m so proud of the campaign we have run, which truly has been people-powered,” Levin continued in his statement. “Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who worked so hard for the last several months — from the over 300 volunteers who knocked on 73,519 doors and the 500 volunteers who made 238,963 calls to every person who sent a postcard, put up a yard sign, chipped in with a donation, and so many more behind the scenes efforts. Together, we locked arms and worked side by side with enthusiasm and grit to engage our communities, answer the tough questions head on, and build a multi-racial, working class movement dedicated to creating a more just world. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
In her own statement, Stevens marveled at how far her campaign has come.
“When I put up my hand to flip a seat blue in 2018 and become the first Democrat to represent Michigan’s 11th Congressional District since before the moon landing, I had no idea the incredible journey that I was about to begin. Since Michigan voters sent me to Congress, I have visited over 180 manufacturers across (Southeast) Michigan, introduced and passed legislation to champion women and girls in STEM, returned over $100 million dollars to my constituents through casework, and brought millions to the communities I represent for new, federally funded projects,” Stevens said in an email.
“Thank you for putting your trust in me, and choosing me to continue to be your voice in Washington. I am rooting for you, I am working for you, and I will never stop fighting for you,” she added.
The district covers much of Oakland County, including Oak Park, Ferndale, Huntington Woods and Berkley, Hazel Park, Royal Oak Township and Royal Oak, as well as Madison Heights, Clawson, Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake, Farmington and Farmington Hills.
The winners will go on to compete for one two-year term in the November general election. U.S. representatives earn a salary of $174,000.
Previously, the candidates running in primaries for the 11th District described themselves in profiles published by C & G Newspapers.
Stevens, 39, has lived in Waterford for a year. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from American University, and a master’s degree in social policy and philosophy, also from American University. She was elected to Congress in 2018 and reelected in 2020.
“My top goal will be to continue delivering for the people of Oakland County,” she previously said. “From fighting for a woman’s right to choose, to ensuring women and girls have access to quality STEM education, I will never back down for my constituents. Additionally, some of my most important votes while in Congress have been to address this national epidemic of gun violence, which has hit us even here in Oakland County recently.”
Ambrose, 52, is a regional investment manager and chartered financial analyst who has lived in Bloomfield Township for nearly 13 years, and previously was raised there for 18 years. He attended military academy at West Point, as well as Columbia University and Columbia Business School. He has a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, and master’s degrees in international affairs and business administration. He has not held political office previously.
“I am incredibly grateful to the citizens of Oakland County who selected me as their nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives. I will not let you down,” Ambrose said via email. “I look forward to a spirited debate on the issues with my Democratic opponent, Haley Stevens. With $4.50 gasoline, inflation through the roof, and our current recession, people in Oakland County are hurting. We did not sign up for this. Haley Stevens champions the policies of the Biden Administration, and that is what got us into this mess. We need to make a change, and I have the experience to fix it.”