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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Haley Stevens “Leans In” to “Personal,” Authentically Michigan Moment

7/21/2026

Washington Post: Haley Stevens’s Michigan accent is worth celebrating

DETROIT, MI – After a recent viral clip of Haley Stevens “sticking it to ‘em” at a campaign stop, Haley is continuing to lean in to her authentically Michigan moment, which a native Michigander is hailing as being “worth celebrating” and “a combination of the Upper Midwest and Betty Boop” to “Michigan born ears,” while CNN noted she turned her moment into “something she could own.”

Read more of what they are saying about Haley’s authentically Michigan campaign:  

Washington Post: Is Haley Stevens talking Michiganese?

  • It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it […] Was this a Michigan accent?

  • “To my Michigan-born ears, she was more idiosyncratic and personal than regional or local: a combination of the Upper Midwest and Betty Boop.

Detroit News: Insider: ‘Twitterati’ mocks viral Haley Stevens speech. She leans in

  • “You better believe I’m going to be doing it with a little bit of joy, a little bit of enthusiasm, a little bit of energy and a little bit of stick it to ‘em,” Stevens said while pumping her arms. “Because that’s the Michigan way.”

  • For her part, Stevens appears to be leaning into the attention. Her campaign released a new ad on Friday featuring just the audio of her viral speech, and they have printed “Stick It To ‘Em” placards for supporters to distribute.

  • In a statement, Stevens said she’s campaigning the way she always has: “Authentically myself and authentically Michigan.

  • “They can throw whatever attacks they want at me. My fight is as strong as ever. My resolve to deliver for Michigan is as strong as ever,” Stevens said. “I am just trying to lead for Michigan and be the effective fighter Michigan needs in the Senate. And that was five sentences.”

  • El-Sayed, after weeks of critiquing Stevens’ sentence structure, encouraged his supporters to stop making fun of Stevens “for things that have nothing to do with her policies or politics.”

CNN: Haley Stevens’ ‘stick it to ‘em’ moment drew online mocking. So why is she embracing it?

  • The game has completely changed when it comes to how you navigate social media and how you navigate these viral moments.

  • This was clearly a moment that she… figured out how to seize on it and turn the mockery happening online into something she could own.

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