08-05-2025
Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss announces run for US House
Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss, a 38-year-old former Southfield city councilman who also served in the state House, on May 8 announced his candidacy for the Oakland County-based congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, who is running for Michigan's soon-to-be-open U.S. Senate seat.
'Hundreds of thousands of voters in the 11th Congressional District have trusted me to be their voice in the state Senate and now I'm ready to take that fight to Congress,' said Moss, whose current district runs through Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Pontiac and Auburn Hills, covering much of the 11th District represented by Stevens. 'With looming threats from Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Democrats can no longer be the party that shows up to this tough fight ahead with another pie chart."
Southfield itself, where Moss lives, is not covered by the congressional seat. It is not a requirement that a member of Congress live in his or her district, though most do, and Moss − who at various times has represented as much as half of the 11th Congressional District − is expected to move this year into the 11th.
Moss, who as president pro tempore of the state Senate is a key member of Democratic leadership in that chamber and who worked for state Rep. Rudy Hobbs and former U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, gives the party its first formal entry into the race to succeed Stevens, who has held the seat since 2019. After redistricting in 2021, the district lines were changed such that the 11th Congressional District is much more Democratic-leaning.
No other candidates have announced, though media reports have said that Oakland County Commissioner Dave Woodward of Royal Oak is looking at it. The Detroit News has also said that former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, who lost a fractious primary to Stevens in 2022, said he was being urged to run.
Moss, who is Jewish, is well known in political circles in Oakland County and was Southfield's youngest-ever councilman when elected at age 25. He is also the first openly gay person to serve as a state senator and has advocated for civil and voting rights. In terms of accomplishments in Lansing, he points to his efforts at helping to pass legislation to protect access to abortion, gun safety legislation and repeal taxes on seniors.
He also points to $50 million he was able to secure for the redevelopment of downtown Pontiac.
Moss said he can represent a district that a decade ago was supporting Republican officeholders like former Gov. Rick Snyder and former U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, and remains aligned with business interests and manufacturing, which has been a key area of interest for Stevens, who is running next year for the seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
"I don't think these (business interests and progressive policies) are competing values in this district. You talk about the changes in Oakland County over the last decade and a half (during which time it has become much more Democratic-leaning). Donald Trump prompted that. These attacks on civil rights and voting rights and abortion rights and LBGTQ rights are high priorities now in this district because they're being driven by the Trump administration. I'm certainly a leader in all those fights."
"He's also causing a lot of threats on economic stability in Oakland County and the rest of the state (with) these erratic tariffs," he said, referring to the Republican president's broad plans to use import taxes on goods to raise federal funds and bring back manufacturing though they have rattled the stock market, threaten high prices and have automakers concerned about lost sales. "That's a focus as well."
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss announces run for US House
