RESULTS: First-term Rep. Haley Stevens wins reelection against Republican Eric Esshaki in Michigan's 11th Congressional District

• First-term Rep. Haley Stevens has defeated the Republican Eric Esshaki in Michigan's 11th Congressional District, per projections by Decision Desk HQ.
• The district is one of 30 congressional districts that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 but is currently represented by a Democrat in the House of Representatives.
• In March, Esshaki sued Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to extend the state's candidate filing deadline.
• See the live coverage and full results from all US House elections.

First-term Rep. Haley Stevens defended her House seat and defeated the Republican Eric Esshaki, Insider and Decision Desk HQ can report.

The candidates

Stevens, who was the chief of staff for President Barack Obama's Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, defeated Lena Epstein in the 2018 election after David Trott, the two-term Republican incumbent, announced his retirement.

She ran on a platform centered on making healthcare affordable, protecting the environment, addressing drug addiction in the country, and strengthening American-Israeli ties.

Esshaki is a first-generation American and a registered nurse. His campaign platform included defunding Planned Parenthood, opposing government-run healthcare, and standing against China.

In late March, Esshaki sued Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, after she instituted a stay-at-home order. The lawsuit resulted in a federal judge extending the candidate filing deadline because of the increased challenges of collecting signatures during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Detroit News.

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The district

The 11th District is in southeastern Michigan, northwest of Detroit. It is home to many Detroit suburbs including Auburn Hills, Troy, Canton Township, Novi, Rochester Hills, Northville, Birmingham, West Bloomfield Township, and Livonia.

The district is one of 30 in the United States that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 but is currently represented by a Democrat.

In 2018, Stevens won her race by over 6 points, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow carried the district by 3 points over the GOP candidate John James, and Whitmer won the district by 6 points over the Republican Bill Schuette.

The money race

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Stevens raised substantially more than Esshaki.

As of September 30, Stevens had brought in $5.1 million, spent $4.8 million, and had about $365,000 in cash on hand.

Esshaki had raised $1 million, spent a little under $695,000, and had about $334,000 in cash on hand.

What some of the experts said

The race was rated as "leans Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, "likely Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, and "safe Democratic" by Inside Elections.