RISING NATIONAL REP
Another local Democratic woman clearly on the rise is state Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak, Birmingham, Clawson, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Oak Park, northwest Detroit), who won re-election by almost 70,000 votes while barely breaking a sweat – at least for herself. Her biggest lift was in raising around $2.35 million this campaign cycle with supporters from all 50 states – an unheard of amount for a state Senate campaign, especially one that was not really competitive. And it was all because she spoke up for herself – and other women and other Democrats, – back in April, in a now-viral speech on the Senate floor after Republican state Senator Lana Theis foolishly – and falsely – sent a fundraising letter, followed up by a speech in the Senate – accusing McMorrow and other Democrats of wanting to “groom and sexualize children.” McMorrow rightly called her and other Republicans out – noting she wanted “every child in this state to feel seen, heard and supported and not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, White and Christian.” She’s also ridden the fame train, from television appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and others – and the day after election day, Frank Bruni, contributing columnist at The New York Times, included McMorrow as one of two experts in his column helping him analyze the election. She noted that the decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, “It changed everything — and Democrats who leaned in fared well. Especially Democratic women.” She also emphasized (at least in the column) that Governor Gretchen Whitmer, “Big Gretch,” as she called her, would not be a 2024 presidential candidate. Adding to her list of accomplishments, McMorrow in mid-November was named Majority Whip in the Michigan Senate Democrats for 2023-2027.