Stevens Endorsement Debate Exposes Gendered Political Power

Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers two days before the Nov. 3 elections, setting off an argument over her political choice—and whether a woman in Congress can be treated as the author of her own decisions. Stevens called the backlash “sexism dressed up as political analysis.” The debate quickly spread across social media.

Who Gets Credit for the Choice?

Some Democratic colleagues and supporters blamed Stevens’ fiancé, Jason Turkish, for what they described as a political shift. Susan Wild, a former Pennsylvanian representative, called the endorsement “appalling” and speculated that Turkish was behind what she called the “betrayal.” “If this is all because of her new relationship (which many of us were so happy for her after she lost the primary), all I can say is that any woman who abandons her friends when a new guy comes along is no friend at all,” Wild wrote on X.

Journalist Ray Wert made a similar suggestion on Facebook, writing that Stevens’ voice “more often than not... is now her fiancé.” Those claims turned an endorsement into a story about who supposedly controls a woman’s political judgment.

Stevens answered in a lengthy post on X. “A woman can serve in Congress, run statewide, and fight for her convictions, and still be told that when she makes a choice people dislike, someone else must be pulling the strings,” she wrote. USA TODAY said it had reached out to Stevens for comment.

Agency, Stereotypes and Accountability

Kelly Dittmar, an associate professor of political science at Rutgers University–Camden and director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics, said family, partners and friends can influence political beliefs. But she also described a history of sexism in U.S. politics that shapes how people interpret women’s decisions.

“We have too often assumed women, whether as voters or as political leaders, will behave in ways that are aligned with or even controlled by dominant male partners or spouses,” Dittmar said. She traced the assumption to traditional gender roles “in which the male is dominant and the woman is dependent.”

Dittmar said it’s logically possible that Turkish influenced Stevens, but assuming she acted only because of him relies on gendered stereotypes. That explanation, she said, “takes away her own agency,” while blaming Turkish also “removes accountability” from Stevens. Dittmar said Stevens made the decision and should be accountable for it, even if others influenced her.

Juliet A. Williams, a gender studies professor at UCLA, called it “totally sexist and unnecessary for legitimate critics to be focusing on the influence of the fiancé.” She said she would like to see Stevens challenge those criticisms, while warning against turning sexism into a partisan issue. Stevens had criticized Democrats for “pushing her out” of the party after her endorsement; Williams said the bias “is much deeper and pervasive than any one particular party or moment.”

A Double Bind Inside Electoral Politics

Williams said women face a “double bind” that has “compromised the ability of women to play a role in political life.” When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran for president, political comics and commentary suggested former President Bill Clinton would be pulling the strings. During Sarah Palin’s tenure as governor of Alaska, people speculated that her husband, Todd Palin, was “the shadow governor,” Dittmar said.

Williams said there is “no right way” for a woman to act: a woman with a partner may be assumed to think and act according to that partner’s beliefs, while a woman without one may be called a “childless cat lady.” “Women are not taken seriously as their own independent thinkers,” she said.

Dittmar said Stevens’ endorsement could “hurt her political future” and her party, and advised against a “black and white answer.” She said people should listen to Stevens directly. Dittmar also said it would be naive to think Turkish wasn’t trying to influence Stevens, but stressed that he didn’t make the decision: “She ultimately makes that decision, and again is accountable for that decision.”