Progressives battle in Michigan's 11th District Democratic Congressional primary

The Detroit News on Jun 30, 2026

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DETROIT — No matter who emerges as the victor in the 11th Congressional District Democratic primary, it's assured that a true-blue progressive will be on the ballot in the fall to face the conservative Republican nominee.

This seat is open due to Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens' decision to run for U.S. Senate. The lone Republican candidate, Ethan Baker, is unopposed in the GOP primary. Baker is the Republican mayor of Troy, an attorney and a conservative. The match-up should make the race in the 11th District, which covers most of Oakland County and parts of western Wayne County, an excellent test of where America's political sentiments lie this year.

All four of the Democratic hopefuls — Jeremy Moss, Aisha Farooqi, John Paul Torres and Don Ufford — fall on the left side of the political scale.

Farooqi, an attorney and governor-appointed member of the state Child Abuse Neglect and Prevention Board, has offered an impressive list of policy positions, covering everything from how to deal with billionaires (tax them) to making health care affordable (Medicare for all).

She would cancel student debt, provide free universal child care, abolish ICE, create jobs by mandating clean energy and hold "extreme Republicans" responsible for their misdeeds. The breath of fresh air in her agenda is a pledge to help small businesses by reducing federal regulations.

Don Ufford was head of Global Engineering for Ford Motor Co., where he helped create the Escape and redesign the Mustang and F-150. He left the auto industry to work for the Department of Commerce, helping to develop automotive policy. He made the switch to politics, he says, "to fight back against Trump's attacks on working people" and create a fairer economy.

He would accomplish those goals by taxing billionaires, stopping Trump's tariffs, assuring everyone has a path to home ownership by age 30, and building more clean energy.

John Paul Torres, a local court administrator and member of the Waterford School Board, is for most of those same things. What sets him apart, he says, is that he comes from a working class, immigrant background and has shared the experiences of many district residents.

Torres also says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. That puts him at odds with Moss, who is Jewish and pro-Israel, and has called out the antisemitism in the Democratic Party.

Moss has more than a decade of experience in the state Legislature, where he currently serves as president pro-tem of the Senate. In 2023, he led all lawmakers in sponsoring the most bills signed into law.

We appreciate Ufford's experience with the auto industry, which often has few allies in Congress. That familiarity with a vital piece of Michigan's economy is why don ufford is our pick in the 11th District Democratic primary.