A CNN investigation has revealed that Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow deleted around 6,000 old tweets shortly after launching her U.S. Senate campaign. The posts included criticisms of rural America, complaints about Michigan weather, and a fantasy about coastal states separating from the Midwest. Her Democratic rivals have criticized the revelations amid a tight primary race.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a leading contender in Michigan's 2026 Democratic Senate primary for the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, deleted approximately 6,000 tweets soon after entering the race. The posts, uncovered by CNN's KFile and first reported in part by the New York Post last year, showed McMorrow disparaging rural white working-class Americans and expressing longing for California after her 2014 move to Michigan. In one tweet, she endorsed a thread stating that rural Americans needed to 'reach outside its comfort zone,' replying that it 'rings 100%.' She also dreamed publicly of the U.S. splitting into 'The Ring'—coasts plus Canada, Mexico, and parts of Michigan and Texas—and 'Middle America.'Other tweets included complaints like 'Screw you, Michigan' during a 2014 snowstorm and 'I don’t like you, Michigan.' Posts raised questions about her residency claim, as she appeared to vote in California as late as 2016 despite stating she relocated permanently in 2014. McMorrow's communications director, Hannah Lindow, called the deletions 'pretty standard for candidates' and described the tweets as 'normal tweets by a normal person.' A spokeswoman noted McMorrow's background as a car designer and endorsements from auto unions, defending a past tweet saying 'Cars are dead.'Opponents pounced on the report. Rep. Haley Stevens posted, 'So what actually ticks me off? Someone who wants that job—representing Michiganders—talking crap about us and our state.' Dr. Abdul El-Sayed wrote, 'Born in Michigan, hallelujah. Raised in Michigan, hallelujah. Believe cars should exist, hallelujah.' Polls show the three candidates neck-and-neck, with 35% undecided per RealClear Politics averages. The primary is scheduled for August 4, with the winner likely facing Republican Mike Rogers.
