A leading Democratic candidate for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat is now reportedly facing questions about her honesty after appearing to invent an endorsement from a local elected official who says he never once spoke to her or her campaign.
Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan’s 11th District, posted on X thanking Berrien County Commissioner Chokwe Pitchford for what she claimed was his support. “I am truly honored to be endorsed by Commissioner Pitchford. Your work in Berrien County is inspiring. Thank you, Commissioner,” Stevens wrote in a message that was later deleted.
But Pitchford quickly refuted her account, saying he never endorsed Stevens and had no contact with her campaign at all. “I literally never endorsed her or heard a word from her team. I promise you, I have not talked to anyone, emailed anyone about endorsements, or even hinted that I would be open to endorsing her,” Pitchford said, directly contradicting Stevens’ claim.
The denial prompted questions about Stevens’ credibility at a critical moment in the campaign.
Stevens launched her Senate bid in April, attempting to frame herself as a candidate focused on lowering costs for families, promoting Michigan’s manufacturing and auto industries, and, as her campaign website declares, standing up to what she calls the “Trump-Musk chaos agenda.”
Her Senate run immediately set up a contentious primary fight against two prominent figures on the Democratic left: State Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Both have their own followings, leaving Stevens to navigate a fractured Democratic electorate.
The apparent fabrication of an endorsement could complicate Stevens’ efforts to build trust with voters in a race where name recognition, grassroots energy, and perceived authenticity may be decisive.
In a July poll conducted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Stevens held a narrow lead among Democratic contenders, drawing 24% of support. El-Sayed was close behind at 22%, while McMorrow trailed at 11%. Strikingly, more than 40% of Democratic voters said they remained undecided—an indication that the primary remains fluid and potentially volatile.
For Stevens, whose campaign has leaned heavily on presenting herself as a pragmatic alternative to the left-wing ambitions of her rivals, the misstep could reinforce skepticism about her political style.
Her deleted post thanking Pitchford was designed to portray her as a candidate with broad support across the state. Instead, it handed her opponents an opening to question whether she can be trusted.
The controversy also reflects broader challenges within the Democratic Party in Michigan, where voters are weighing competing messages of progressive activism and establishment pragmatism.
With the Senate majority hanging in the balance in 2025, every seat is expected to be fiercely contested, and missteps that call into question a candidate’s integrity may have outsized consequences.
For now, Stevens has not explained why her campaign posted the false claim of an endorsement or why it was deleted. Pitchford, meanwhile, has made clear he was never part of her coalition. “I literally never endorsed her,” he reiterated, signaling that Stevens’ attempt to claim support where none existed may linger as a liability throughout the primary fight.
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