Michigan Voter Guide 2022: 11th Congressional District

Michigan voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 8, for the 2022 midterm elections. One of the races on the ballot is Michigan’s redrawn 11th Congressional District. Democrat Haley Stevens faces Republican Mark Ambrose.

Keep reading to learn the candidates’ answers to the questionnaire they received from WDET.

Jump to Haley Stevens

Jump to Mark Ambrose

Haley Stevens – Democrat (incumbent)

Age: 39

Current occupation: Congresswoman for Michigan’s 11th district

Education: American University; (B.A), Social Policy & Philosophy (M.A); Political Science & Philosophy (B.A)

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less.

I am a proud Oakland County native, Seaholm High School graduate, and the first woman Michigan’s 11th Congressional District ever sent to Congress. Since getting elected in 2018, I have been a leading voice for unions, women, innovation, manufacturing, and gun reform. My passion for manufacturing and innovation is rooted in my experience as an Obama appointee, serving as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force, which saved over 200,000 Michigan jobs. Currently, I sit on the House Committee on Education & Labor, and the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, where I also serve as Chairwoman of the Research & Technology Subcommittee.

Why are you running for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District?

I am running for re-election in Michigan’s newly drawn 11th district because Oakland County deserves a representative in Congress who leads by listening and through delivery. I am going to school board meetings, talking to small business owners about pandemic recovery, touring schools and hosting community roundtables because my work in Congress has always been shaped by what my community tells me they need. I am proud to have returned over $100 million to Michigan families and businesses through my record-breaking casework program, and $18 million through community directed funding projects. I am seeking a third term because so many fundamental rights are on the line November 8th, and Michigan’s 11th District deserves a Congresswoman who will never relent.

What are the top 3 priority issues that the 11th Congressional District faces, and what actions would you, as its representative, take regarding each of them?

The top three issues I hear on the trail and see impacting my community are as follows:

Abortion

Every day since Roe v. Wade was reversed, I have heard from Michiganders who are scared and angry that their bodily autonomy was stolen. Republicans intend to criminalize women’s health care, including contraceptives, while offering no solution to issues that impact women and families — like child care and equal pay. I won’t stop working until we finally enshrine reproductive freedom into federal law, so no politician can ever make a woman’s most personal decision for her. I refuse to back down, because I know how many women and girls in Michigan are counting on me.

Gun Violence

On November 30, 2021, our community was brought to its knees by a senseless and preventable act of gun violence, where four innocent Oxford High School students tragically lost their lives. We will never forget those we lost and we must commit to fighting harder than ever to prevent any more deaths due to gun violence. Since entering Congress, I have cosponsored and voted for every single piece of legislation aimed at reducing gun violence, in addition to introducing legislation aimed at enforcing background checks. Even as millions were spent against me, including by the NRA for my policy views, I have never once wavered my commitment to ending the gun violence epidemic, and I never will. I am pleased we got bi-partisan legislation signed into law, but I am eager to get back to Congress and keep working to end this madness.

Manufacturing and STEM Education

Michigan’s economy depends on the success of our manufacturing sector. As chair of the House Science Research & Technology Subcommittee, I have had the honor of passing legislation to provide critical resources and tools that the U.S. needs to compete, with Michigan at the forefront. To keep Oakland County a hub of innovation, we need a workforce that is able to meet the demands of the future – which is why expanding STEM opportunities for women, girls, and minorities is a top priority for me. I have championed Michigan’s innovation economy since entering Congress, as chair of the Research & Technology Subcommittee and as a co-author of the CHIPS and Science Act.

What is your stance on gun reform in the U.S.?

One of the central reasons I ran for Congress in Michigan — to flip a seat and hold it — was to change our gun laws and keep dangerous weapons out of our communities. We must end loopholes in the background checks system, especially the boyfriend and gun show loopholes. Pass a bill to crack down on bump stocks, enforce the laws we already have on the books, and get ghost guns off of our streets. These are common sense reforms that cannot wait. Our schools, grocery stores, movie theaters and places of worship must be free from gun violence. I was proud to vote in support of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act this term in Congress but understand fully that we cannot stop there.

What is your stance on abortion rights?

Allow me to be clear: I unequivocally support a woman’s right to choose. Abortion IS healthcare and all women must be able to make the decision that is best for them and their families. I ran for Congress in a bright red Republican district that had never sent a single woman to Washington because I couldn’t stand by and watch my rights and the rights of every woman I know be stripped away. For four years I defended one of the most endangered Congressional seats in this country, voting twice for the Women’s Health Protection Act to make Roe the law of the land. Now more than ever, as the right to an abortion is under attack across the nation, we need pro-choice women in Congress who will never stop fighting to defend the right to choose.

What is your solution to fight the current inflation crisis in the U.S. and how it affects Michigan?

Rising costs for Michigan families is the issue keeping me up at night. House Democrats have taken steps to tackle inflation by passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowers prescription drug costs and implements a plan for climate change. We will also see reduced costs from the CHIPS and Science Act — legislation I played a key part in getting signed into law to re-shore US semiconductor chip manufacturing. But we have more work to do. We must deliver the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, legislation that lowers farmers’ costs in the field and lowers meat and poultry costs by increasing meatpacking competition. We must also pass legislation to support supply chain resiliency, like my National Manufacturing Guard Act of 2021 that strengthens our country’s supply chain readiness and helps companies respond to future disruptions.

This also means holding the companies who are profiting off of rising costs for hard-working Americans accountable. We need checks and balances on stock buybacks and must expose the oil companies who are posting record profits as gas prices soar. Europe is experiencing a natural gas conundrum and OPEC have seemingly sided with Russia on production rates for the time being. The US needs clean energy dependence which includes a plan for the short and long term. In dealing with high costs of energy and food, elected leaders must be transparent and honest with their residents. We must extend waivers for free and reduced lunch that is currently stalled in the Senate. I am working with food banks and our school systems to address food insecurity, and not beating around the bush that food costs are a problem. I am in the political party that will offer solutions and refuse to put anything but the people first. Tackling inflation requires more than just words, and I am committed to continue working to lower costs for Michiganders.

Mark Ambrose – Republican

Age: 52

Current occupation: Prior to 8/2/22 – Managing Director and Regional Investment Manager – Wells Fargo Private Bank

Education:

• Brother Rice High School, Bloomfield Twp, MI
• U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. – B.Sc. in Systems Engineering
• Columbia University, Master of International Affairs -Russia and the Post-Soviet States
• Columbia Business School, New York: MBA

Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less.

I am a U.S. Army veteran, a father of three, and a husband for 18 years to a brilliant wife, who served as a prosecutor for a decade and half. I am a businessman who has spent 25 years in the financial sector and earned a designation as a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). I want to use my background in economics and our armed forces to address the most pressing issues facing our families and our country. I would like to be a voice of reason in Congress, who can help put our economy on the right track, secure our borders, and keep America safe at home and abroad.

Why are you running for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District?

I believe that Michigan and America’s leadership have put us on the wrong track. Americans are struggling to get by due to the reckless spending and misguided economic policies of the Biden Administration. Stories of hard-working American families being forced to go on food stamps for the first time due to the rising cost of essential household items should outrage every American. Seeing my children suffering, as they were kept out of school, seemed to be a heavy-handed government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the catalyzing moment that made me want to run for office.

What are the top 3 priority issues that the 11th Congressional District faces, and what actions would you, as its representative, take regarding each of them?

Inflation and the Economy

We must cut down on wasteful government spending and bring sound fiscal policy to Congress to prevent runaway inflation and put our economy back on the right track.

Immigration

I am a strong supporter of legal immigration, but the situation at our southern border is out of control. The chaos caused by the Biden Administration and this Congress is killing both Americans and illegal immigrants. I support enhanced border security and funding for our Border Patrol agents who are severely understaffed.

Foreign Policy/Military

This Administration has made us less safe and less respected abroad by emboldening our foreign adversaries. Two examples include the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production and ignore U.S. pleas for more production. Our foreign policy should not waffle and our military should refocus its efforts on being a dominant fighting force that can never be challenged.

What is your stance on gun reform in the U.S.?

We must enforce current laws and do a better job of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. I met with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard over the summer. We discussed the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), triggered when a felon attempts to buy a firearm. He mentioned two problems that we could fix and reduce crime:

1. Only 1.5 percent of felons on the NICS restricted list are prosecuted for the crime of attempting to purchase a gun.
2. 7 million felons who should be on the NICS list are not.

What is your stance on abortion rights?

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year, they sent the decision about abortion back to the states. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would have no more say in what those rules look like than any other Michigan citizen. Michigan voters will have the chance to set the rules by which they live on November 8 when they decide on Proposal 3. I am pro-life, though I do support exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother. The issue of abortion is heartbreaking for all involved. Our country can do better to find common ground, educate our young people, and avoid unwanted pregnancies.

What is your solution to fight the current inflation crisis in the U.S. and how it affects Michigan?

• Vote against any further irresponsible and reckless spending.
• Advocate for energy independence by maximizing domestic energy production to lower costs for all Americans. I am a supporter of alternative energy, and I drive an all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, but alternatives are only part of the solution.
• Advocate for a return to an independent Federal Reserve that failed to act a year ago, before inflation spiraled out of control. The Federal Reserve has become politicized and echoed the talking points of the Biden Administration, most notably claiming that, “inflation is transitory.”