Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, currently vying for Michigan's open Senate seat in 2026, has taken a bold step by filing articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.
This move, announced on Wednesday, comes amidst a heated three-way primary race to replace the retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Despite the lack of explicit support from House Democratic leadership, Stevens is pressing forward with her attempt to oust Kennedy, a move that appears largely symbolic given the unlikelihood of House Speaker Mike Johnson considering the measure.
"RFK Jr. has got to go," Stevens declared in a social media video, accusing Kennedy of abandoning scientific principles and criticizing him for downsizing public health agencies. She further described Kennedy as "the biggest self-created threat to our health and safety." According to the Daily Caller, the New York Times initially reported on Stevens' filing of the impeachment articles.
In response, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon told the Daily Caller News Foundation, "Secretary Kennedy remains focused on improving Americans health and lowering costs, not on partisan theatrics designed to elevate standing in a failing, third-rate Senate bid."
The political landscape in Michigan is highly competitive, with Stevens leading the Democratic primary according to recent polls. Her opponents, Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow and Bernie Sanders-endorsed Abdul El-Sayed, are challenging her from the left.
A survey conducted by Mitchell Research and Communications showed Stevens with 27% support among likely Democratic primary voters, McMorrow with 24%, and El-Sayed with 16%, leaving 33% undecided. The poll, which surveyed 261 Democratic primary voters between November 18 and November 21, has a margin of error of 6%.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has expressed skepticism about the success of impeachment efforts against Trump administration officials. During a recent leadership press conference, Jeffries remarked, "Republicans will never allow articles of impeachment to be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives," referring to Democratic Michigan Rep. Shri Thanedar's attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Thanedar has accused Hegseth of murder, citing ongoing strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug vessels under the Trump administration.
However, these efforts appear unlikely to gain traction, as Jeffries noted, "And we know thats the case because Donald Trump will order them not to do it."
Stevens and Thanedar could potentially file a "privileged" motion to force a vote on their impeachment resolutions, but it is expected that House GOP leadership would successfully table the effort. In the broader political context, Trump-endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is currently leading Stevens in a hypothetical general election survey, with 42% to her 40%, within a 3.7% margin of sampling error.
Stevens had previously threatened to file articles of impeachment against Kennedy in September, underscoring her determination to challenge the current administration's policies. As the primary race intensifies, her actions may serve to galvanize her base, though the ultimate impact on her Senate bid remains to be seen.
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