Viral Democrat mocked as 'bad SNL character' lurches ahead of socialist-backed opponent in primary for battleground seat

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 16:31, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 16:36, 19 July 2026 Two Michigan Democrats representing opposite factions of their party are locked in a bitter primary battle, and one has been given a few unexpected assists in the closing weeks of the race. Haley Stevens, a current member of the US House of Representatives, is running in the primary for the state's US Seat against Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive who has served as the health director for Detroit, as well as Wayne County. Stevens is riding a wave of endorsements from state and national leaders and has been boosted by polling showing her leaping ahead of El-Sayed. At the same time, the newly minted Democratic frontrunner is being roasted for her relatability.  A recent clip of her speaking at an event has gone viral on social media, prompting commenters to weigh in on her address. In the clip, Stevens encouraged her supporters to 'stick it to them' in a campaign pep talk, raising eyebrows for her awkward delivery and style.  She appears to have thickened her accent in the speech, when compared with previous clips of her campaign videos and speeches on the House floor. Democrat Representative Haley Stevens speaks with supporters in Ecorse, Michigan Michigan US Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, is seen speaking to volunteers at a canvassing event at Riverside Park, Tuesday, July 7, 2026 Emma Vigeland, host of the progressive Democratic Majority Report podcast, said that Stevens is 'the funniest Democrat I have ever seen, it’s actually a problem.' 'It’s distracting from her being a genocidal monster. The Trump phenomenon,' Vigeland added on X, referring to Stevens' support of Israel. X user @brent858, who identifies as a member of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, called Stevens a 'Bad SNL character.' The comparisons to comedy didn't stop there. X user @TRUMPGIRL_STL likened Stevens to Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope, while @yayathehun compared her to internet comic Druski. Neera Tanden, a former Biden official and leader of the liberal Center For American Progress think tank, defended Stevens.  She shared a post from Manhattan Institute Vice President of External Affairs Jesse Arm, in which he stated, 'many of Abdul El-Sayed’s coastal superfans breathlessly commenting on Michigan’s Senate race and ridiculing Haley Stevens seem to have a baseline contempt for people from my home state - right down to the way they speak.' El-Sayed, who is leaning hard into the progressive wing of his party, is set to campaign with New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday. Michigan's primary election is August 4, and early voting commences on Saturday, July 25. The seat is rated a 'toss-up' by the Cook Political Report, and the contest is for an open seat after incumbent Democrat Gary Peters chose not to run again. Peters backed Stevens in the primary earlier this week.  Mike Rogers, a former congressman, has secured the GOP nomination as he is uncontested.