Did Obama, UAW endorse Haley Stevens? No, but voters think so
A connection with former President Barack Obama and helping craft a post-Great Recession automotive rescue plan makes for a strong resume to present to Michigan voters. U.S. Senate candidate Haley Stevens has touted her experiences along the campaign trail and online, but ads from a super PAC and unclear messaging appear to have misled Michigan voters.
A set of video ads airing on Google’s and Meta’s platforms from a super PAC asks users if they’re “looking for leaders you can trust,” and then shows videos of Obama as the voiceover tells people to “send Haley Stevens to the Senate.” Ads from Stevens’ campaign on Meta highlighted her work with the former president.
They don’t state that Obama or the United Auto Workers (UAW) endorsed her, but it has caused confusion.
“Haley! Cause Obama said so,” one person told Detroit-based journalist Sam Robinson on Sunday.
Two voters identified as DW and Donna Mills told Robinson they’re voting for Stevens because of her ad with Obama. Michigan’s primary election ends on Aug. 4.
The UAW on Monday issued a cease-and-desist order to A Stronger Michigan, a super PAC backing Stevens, after it used the union’s distinctive wheel-and-spoke logo.
“These ads are a deliberate attempt at misleading voters in Michigan, including hundreds of thousands of active and retired UAW members and their families across the state,” the union wrote on X. It endorsed Stevens’ competitor.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Stevens’ primary election opponent, referenced the endorsement claims on X Tuesday morning during a back-and-forth with Stevens. He asked if people would see an AIPAC-funded ad showcasing Stevens’ work on medical debt “like the fake Obama endorsement.”
Stevens doesn’t list the UAW or Obama on the endorsements section of her campaign page. Arik Wolk, a campaign spokesperson, didn’t answer questions about the ads. He said in a statement that Stevens believed Obama made the nation and Michigan a better place.
“Haley is proud of her work as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s auto rescue, helping save 200,000 Michigan auto jobs,” Wolk said.
Laws on fake endorsements
Falsifying endorsements may or may not violate federal election laws. The Federal Elections Commission considers it a violation if the candidate misrepresented a rival candidate or political party to damage the rival.
It’s only applicable to people seeking a federal office and their campaign staff.
Businesses and labor organizations can face charges for coordinating with candidates regarding when, how and where the endorsements will be made. There aren’t restrictions on individuals throwing their support behind a candidate.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah and Washington prohibit candidates from making false statements about endorsements.
Candidates have stretched endorsements
Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM
Thirty-three U.S. Senate seats are up for election on Nov. 3.
Other candidates across the country have released ads making questionable or inferred claims of endorsements from other politicians. Most alert voters to the work they’ve done with a specific person, special interest group or party.
Some have outright lied about such statements.
Charlie Kim ran in the Republican primary for Illinois 11th Congressional District and came under fire for creating an AI-generated video. In the video, President Donald Trump endorsed Kim in the primary — except Trump has never made such a statement. Kim deleted the video after facing backlash.
He came in third in the March primary election out of four candidates, with less than a third of the votes that the winner received.
In Jonathan Rinaldi‘s case, the Queens County District Attorney said in a June release that he faces charges for forgery.
“Enough is enough,” Attorney Melinda Katz said. “In today’s world it is important to hold people accountable for materially misrepresenting facts.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
