MI-09: Fight for Sander Levin's seat turns into progressive battle
Democrat Andy Levin has run into a harder-than-expected battle in his bid to succeed his father U.S. Rep. Sander Levin in Congress.
The 57-year-old Levin of Bloomfield Township has received the backing of high-powered unions such as the United Auto Workers and many party establishment officials, including his dad and uncle, former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit. But he is facing a well-financed challenge from former state Rep. Ellen Lipton of Huntington Woods in the three-candidate Democratic primary.
Like other areas of the country, the fight in the Democrat-leaning 9th Congressional District is revolving around who is the most "progressive" or left-leaning candidate to represent parts of Oakland and Macomb counties in the age of President Donald Trump. Lipton, a 51-year-old patent lawyer who is endorsed by Democratic abortion rights group Emily's List, has raised about $1.09 million to Levin's about $901,000.
"You have a leaning toward progressives and newcomers" among candidates, said David Dulio, who chairs the political science department at Oakland University. "That's why we are seeing challengers to Levin, whose name would have likely been enough to carry him in the recent past.
"But Lipton's ability to raise money it speaks to the 'year of the women' narrative."
Martin Brook, a labor and employment law attorney from Bloomfield Township and former Bloomfield Hills school board member, is complicating the race. He has raised about $35,000, according to campaign filings.
"You have another candidate who is likely a long shot to win, but the impact is that it's drawing candidates to the left," Dulio said.
Trump carried Michigan in 2016 by a slim margin and defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by 12 percentage points in Macomb County by campaigning against trade deals that he said cost Americans their jobs. Two years ago, Democrats weren't "the obvious choice of the working class," said Levin, who voted for Clinton in the Michigan primary and general elections.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/07/31/fight-sander-levins-seat-turns-into-progressive-battle/821098002/