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2w ago

Michigan Senate Hopeful Mallory McMorrow’s Marching-Band Entrance Triggers Mockery and Rivals’ Attacks

The viral clip now shapes perceptions of her message in a close, cash-heavy primary.

Madder than a hatter
Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow waves onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. Kevin Dietsch/Getty
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Overview

  • Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator running for U.S. Senate, entered the state Democratic convention with DrumKINGZ and supporters as her campaign posted the video on X with the caption “Many are calling it McMentum.”
  • The video drew swift online ridicule and comparisons to Kamala Harris’s 2019 marching-band moments, with conservative accounts highlighting the choreography and oversized cutouts of McMorrow’s face.
  • Primary rival Abdul El-Sayed seized on the moment, telling local media the entrance showed she lacked a message, turning the stunt into a proxy fight over substance versus style.
  • Federal Election Commission filings through the end of March show a tight money race, with Rep. Haley Stevens at $8.8 million, McMorrow at $8.6 million, and El-Sayed at $7.6 million.
  • McMorrow has backing from Sens. Chris Murphy, Martin Heinrich, and Elizabeth Warren, while right-leaning outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, and The Federalist used the episode to argue Democrats lean on performance over policy ahead of the August 4 primary.