Aug. 28, 2026 | This Week in Government: Money Out of Politics Proposal Goes to Ballot

Each week, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Government Relations team, in partnership with Gongwer, provides members with a collection of timely updates from both local and state governments. Stay in the know on the latest legislation, policy priorities, and more. Sign up for the Chamber’s weekly newsletter, This Week in Governement.

The House moved to approve the proposal that would prohibit utilities and contractors from making campaign contributions on Tuesday, while the Senate indicated it would not take action, meaning voters will decide in November.

The Michiganders for Money Out of Politics initiative petition would prohibit utilities and contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with connections to these contractors, from making direct or indirect campaign contributions, and expand laws regulating spending on political communications.

As an initiated law, the Legislature has an opportunity to approve the measure before to keep it off the ballot. Organizers for Money Out of Politics have called on lawmakers to leave the proposal alone.

The House approved the measure 77-26.

Rep. Dylan Wegela, D-Garden City, and Rep. Jim DeSana, R-Carleton, voted against the proposal, but not because they did not agree with the principle.

“It’s really important for the public to know that the only reason that these bills are being adopted today is so that there’s a chance to weaken them later,” Wegela said. “Because if this goes to the ballot and passes, which it’s likely to do, they will be protected by a three-fourths vote in the future, rather than a simple majority next term.”

DeSana echoed Wegela.

“If you look at the essence of this by adopting it, it is to weaken it,” he said. “With a 50-50 vote, mop-up could be wiped out in a 50-50 vote. … I really do think that if the people pass this, it should take a three-quarters vote of the Legislature to change it. … I don’t want it to be amended by just 57 votes or 56 votes.”

Senate Majority Leader Winne Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, made it clear she had no intention of moving the measure in the Senate.

“MMOP has successfully gathered more than half a million signatures, and the message from Michiganders is clear: They want this on the ballot in November. Senate Democrats already agree that there is too much dark money in politics, and we are eager to hear what voters have to say on this issue. In that spirit, we will not be subverting the will of the voters, taking it up legislatively,” she said in a statement.

Supporters of the proposal praised Brinks for committing to letting it go to the ballot and bashed the House for passing it.

“Leader Brinks gets it. Michiganders are fed up with out-of-control corporate political spending and are ready to change our political system this November. We thank her for respecting the will of over half a million voters who made it clear they want to vote on this measure in November, Maura Cowley, campaign manager for the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics campaign, said in a statement. “Speaker Hall should be ashamed of himself. Don’t be fooled – what we saw from Hall today was nothing more than political gamesmanship. He never had any intention of getting money out of politics. If he did, he wouldn’t have let common-sense, bipartisan policies to root out corruption in politics sit in committee time and time again. Let’s be clear – our campaign will continue to build momentum, and we’re excited for Michiganders to vote yes and finally put an end to pay-to-play politics in Lansing.”

Rep. Stephen Wooden, D-Grand Rapids, said that Brinks’ position made it easy for him and other Democrats who voted for the measure to avoid what he called a “political trap.”

“After two years of inaction on affordability, two years of failing to check the horrible Trump economy, they’re going to try to spring gimmicks like this on the House floor,” he said. “I want this proposal to go to the voters, I absolutely do, and when it became clear the Sen. Brinks and the Senate Democrats were going to respect the wishes of the people who want this to be on the ballot and not take it up, I refused to spring their trap.”

House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said that the way the ballot proposal was set up was a request for the Legislature to take up the measure.

“They signed a petition with the purpose of putting this before the Legislature, and only if the Legislature doesn’t have the guts to act does it go for before the voters,” he said. “It’s a shame if the Senate Democrats and Winnie Brinks don’t have the guts to act to take the money out of politics.”

Hall said that if the Senate were to pass the measure and make it a law, it would be a matter of what the courts did with it, whether the Legislature next year would leave it alone.

“One of the concerns that I have is that you’re going to have legal challenges to this, and you’re going to have courts that come in, and they try to change this from what the intention was, and so I think you go to look at those things,” he said. “We have to assume we’re not going to change it, and if you do change it, the voters are going to hold you accountable.”

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Rep. Will Snyder is looking to end the fight about how to fund the state’s Pure Michigan advertising campaign.

The legislation, HB 6246, would make Travel Michigan its own Independent Type 1 Agency.

Travel Michigan, which works to market the state on a national and international level, is currently housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Under Snyder’s bill, it would be established as an independent agency within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

As an independent agency, Travel Michigan would be granted statutory powers and rulemaking authority. Snyder said it would be akin to the Public Service Commission or the Liquor Control Commission.

The bill would also be tie-barred to HB 6026 and HB 6027, which create new regulations for short-term rentals, which would provide Travel Michigan and the Pure Michigan program with a permanent mechanism for funding, Snyder, D-Muskegon, said.

The short-term rental package designates that half of the 6% excise tax would go to the municipalities where the rental is located, and the other half would go to Pure Michigan.

That works out to be about $40 million per year for Pure Michigan, Snyder said.

“It puts it in a spot where we can quit having this fight every year about funding Pure Michigan,” he said. “It’s got a great return on investment. It’s among the highest we can show out there.”

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Michigan Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus issued a joint statement supporting the legislation earlier this week.

“Tourism is one of Michigan’s most powerful economic engines, generating billions of dollars and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across every corner of our state — from the shores of the Great Lakes to our small towns and big cities alike,” said Julie Pingston, president and Chief Executive Officer of Choose Lansing and Chair of the Michigan Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. “Elevating Pure Michigan to a Type 1 agency isn’t just an organizational change; it’s a statement of priorities. It gives our tourism promotion the stability, direct accountability, and long-term strategic focus it needs to compete with other states that are investing aggressively in their own visitor economies.”

Neither HB 6026 nor HB 6027 has received a committee hearing since they were introduced in June, but Snyder said that the bills had buy-in from stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries, so he wanted to remain optimistic that there might be a chance they could move this term.

“I’m going to be the optimist and hope we can get it done,” he said. “I’m looking at next year, but if there’s an opportunity to get done this fall, or in any potential lame duck, I’ll be there, ready to get to work.”

The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved $50 million in site readiness funds once again on Tuesday for the controversial Copperwood Mine Project near the Porcupine Mountains State Wilderness Park, but this time the funds will be sent straight to the company.

The board allocated site readiness funds already set aside for Michigan Strategic Fund use, and which are not subject to legislative approval. In 2024, the board approved the funding for the mine, but the Senate Appropriations Committee never approved the funds.

The funds include a site readiness grant of $44,971,691 for Copperwood Resources Inc. and $5,028,309 for the Gogebic County Road Commission for a total request of $50 million.

The vote was not unanimous, which is unusual for the board. Alissa Roath and Sue Tellier voted no on the strategic site readiness funds but did vote yes on the road commission money. Lynda Rossi did not submit a vote.

The funds come from a 2022 fiscal year budget supplemental of $250 million directly appropriated to the board for site readiness purposes out of the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund. One bucket of funding was $50 million for an identified end user. Since the dollars have already been transferred, the allocation does not require any other approval, officials said.

Michelle Grinnell, chief communications and attractions officer for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, told reporters the incentive package was not allocated back in 2024 because there were other projects that did not come to fruition that were the focus of the funds.

This appropriation path was used in the past with the Corning Incorporated project in 2024, a solar component manufacturing facility in Saginaw County, which allocated $29 million in site readiness grants to Thomas Township alongside $68 million in SOAR funds and a 15-year State Essential Services Assessment Exemption valued at $12.3 million. Other parts of $250 million went to local economic development corporations.

The funds are still performance-based with milestones, requiring the project to create 380 qualified jobs and approximately $425 million in capital investment, approximately $1.34 billion in personal income, approximately $121.7 million in state tax revenue, and approximately $76.3 million in projected Michigan Severance Tax revenue.

Grinnell said the MEDC isn’t “avoiding” the Senate by taking this route, and the mechanism is “an opportunity to do this with a funding source that the Legislature intended to be used in this exact way.”

She said the move is fully in line with legislative intent, and the MSF talked to Senate leadership about their decision for direct allocation. Grinnell said while the Legislature is not a monolith, there has been strong support across many of the legislators for the project, as well as lots of local support.

The board meeting room was unusually packed with protestors on Tuesday, with a long string of critical public commenters. The project has been bullishly opposed by a group called Protect the Porkies, which has consistently staged protests on environmental concerns around the mine and generated online support for a petition in opposition to the mine.

Once they finished public comment for those signed up ahead of the meeting, the board opened comment to those still wanting to speak, and the line was out the door.

MEDC Chief Executive Officer Quentin Messer Jr. moved the virtual public comment section to the end of the meeting, as there were 127 pre-registered virtual commenters.

Emily Smith, land and water conservation policy manager, criticized the Canadian company during public comment, saying it was building its first ever mine next door to the state park and storing over 30 million tons of waste in “unprecedented proximity” to Lake Superior, visible from the region’s most iconic overlooks.

Many of the commenters, including Smith, focused on the threats to Lake Superior’s freshwater in the event of a possible dam rupture. Smith also flipped the economic argument, saying the proposed mine could affect the tourism industry, which contributes $15 billion annually, by potentially harming the state park, compared to the mining industry, which contributes $1 billion to the state’s gross domestic product.

Sarah Grady, a Lansing resident, asked the board to “stop being fooled by these inexperienced predatory mining companies who know nothing of ecology, of the waters and the tributaries that surround” the state.

“They claim the water will be treated, but this process for treating wastewater that spews from a copper mine is not easy and is not guaranteed,” Grady said. “It leaves the water vacant of minerals and other living beings that make this and many other tributaries whole. This water will not nourish. This water will be poison and will be detrimental to all species who call this tributary home.”

Grinnell said during the presentation of the funding that while she acknowledged there were environmental concerns on the projects, “no one is interested in harming our natural resources, our tourism economy, or the long-term well-being of our state or the Great Lakes.”

She emphasized that the project has received permits for construction and operation and remains subject to comprehensive oversight by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

The project summary from the MEDC cited high public support numbers, though. MEDC staff wrote that there is a 91% rate of support for mining activity through the Wakefield Township Master Plan and 82% support through mining-related development among Upper Peninsula residents in an Invest UP report, statistics which opposing groups have dismissed due to their collection in polling by local economic development organizations that support the mine

While the money will not be subject to approval by the Legislature, the public comment began with legislative leaders from the House Republicans, showing them some legislative support for the project. House Republicans proposed a budget appropriation last year for Wakefield Township infrastructure, but it did not make it into the final budget bill.

Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, urged the board to allocate the funds because the real goal is to bring jobs to the Upper Peninsula, and said as House Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Appropriations Subcommittee chair that he knows the department “holds the toughest environmental standards in the country” and “will ensure our environment is protected.”

Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, argued there would not be environmental oversight issues, saying “we don’t live in a society anymore where the government operates without watchdogs and the general public watching over them.” He said he was glad there was opposition, so no one would turn a blind eye to the project.

MSF board members did ask questions at the meeting, which is not a common occurrence at the meeting, as most projects are usually unanimously pushed through after a motion to vote.

MSF Board Member Sue Tellier asked about the relationship between the MEDC and the tribal entities in the region.

When asked if the tribes support the project, Grinnell said they have had a lot of conversations, and MEDC Chief Executive Officer Quentin Messer Jr. said it is “not incompatible to have economic development, economic growth, and strong environmental protections.”

“As we talk to not only the leaders of these sovereign nations but also our fellow Michiganders across both sides of the Upper Peninsula, the desire to maintain population, curb population loss, is something that’s universal,” Messer said.

Britany Affolter-Caine, another board member, did not ask a question but wanted to show “due respect” to those with concerns in the room.

“I really want to emphasize to everyone that we all have been taking this extremely seriously,” Affolter-Caine said. “It is not the first time it’s been in front of us. We have been weighing many different viewpoints. There are a lot of competing interests in this case, and at the same time, there are also some competing perceptions of risk.”

One of the only times the board tabled a decision in recent years was a decision on mine funding in 2024.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement to Gongwer News Service that she was committed to supporting workers and businesses in the Upper Peninsula, and Tuesday’s investment would make it possible for more Michiganders to “get good-paying jobs and provide for their families without having to leave their hometowns.”

“We can get this done while protecting the U.P.’s air, land, and water for generations to come,” Whitmer said. “From day one, I’ve been laser-focused on growing our economy while protecting our environment, and I will continue to do so until my last day in office. Let’s keep working together to build a brighter future for the U.P. and all of Michigan.”

The U.P. legislative delegation also praised the investment, saying that the project was 15 years in the making and will mark the return of the mining industry after the closure of the White Pine Mine in 1997.

The delegation focused on the Eagle Mine in Marquette for comparisons, saying it has operated under environmentally strict laws and has helped with adding a severance tax on top of standard business taxes. Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, said in a statement that the mine is “showing how mining and tourism can operate side by side to benefit a region.”

“The western U.P. has faced economic devastation as state policymakers have forgotten the people they were meant to serve,” Rep. Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, said in a statement. “This investment is a critical step toward the prosperous future our residents deserve. We refuse to be left in the dust by nonresidents and their political ideologies.”

House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, criticized the funding at a press conference Tuesday, saying the MSF board pulled the $50 million “out from under the seat cushion” for the mine, focusing more on the overall criticism of slush funds in the administration.

Sen. Sue Shink, D-Northfield Township, told Gongwer News Service said while the Senate Appropriations Committee has had several opportunities to approve the project, it seemed like a bad idea to her and still does.

She pushed back on the idea that the MEDC was adhering to the Senate’s wishes.

“I think that if MEDC wants to act like they were respectful of the Senate in making this decision, in an end-run, around the way things are normally done, I disagree. I think that the MEDC did an end-run around the Legislature, and they tried to do it in secret,” Shink said.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, did not return a request for comment on the MSF action. Senate Appropriations Chair Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, also did not return a text message seeking comment.

Shink said all her colleagues in the Legislature, as well as Whitmer, who she said has shown a side of herself in her hot mic moment at the groundbreaking of the Saline Township data center that many people will not forget, can support or oppose what they wish, but she wishes it could have went through appropriations. Whitmer said the hot mic video in question, where she was caught allegedly saying “We’re used to people saying f–k no,’ and doing it anyway,” was doctored.

Overall, Shink said Michiganders have made it clear they don’t want to subsidize the Canadian corporation and that there are real concerns of economic viability.

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With the primaries firmly in the rearview mirror, Gongwer News Service is taking a look at which state Senate seats are most likely to switch parties in November in the race for the majority.

Unlike the House, the Senate right now only has a handful of seats that appear to be truly competitive and in line for flipping in the fall. Democrats are eying two key races that narrowly slipped through their fingers in 2022, while Republicans have opportunities in one open seat and another in an evenly split district that Democrats narrowly won four years ago.

As with the House list published on Monday, factors such as district makeup, voter enthusiasm, candidate quality, and fundraising levels have guided the formation of this list.

Beyond the handful of top districts that could change hands, there are also several that, while on paper could be competitive, are a long shot for the respective party and would likely require the stars to align or the environment to shift sharply their way to have a shot.

1. Glanville, Dem trend, pose big threat to Huizenga in 30^th: Nearly all signs point to the 30^thSenate District going to the Democrats in November, a seat that the GOP will be fighting tooth and nail to defend, Sen. Mark Huizenga, R-Walker.

Huizenga won this seat in 2022 over now-Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand by 391 votes in what was a dogfight then, in Kent County, which has been steadily trending Democratic. He will face Rep. Carol Glanville, D-Walker, in the general election.

Although Huizenga is a hard worker, strong campaigner, and bipartisan member of the chamber who has crossed the aisle to vote on many occasions in line with his 50/50 district, he has several strikes working against him this time around, beginning with the aforementioned Democratic trend of the district.

Primary turnout this year for the Democrats in this district was 37% more than that of Republicans in a year that appears to hold momentum for the Democrats.

This district has been strong for Democrats in recent elections as well, with presidential candidate Kamala Harris winning the seat by 5 points in 2024, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 9 in 2022, and former President Joe Biden by 4 in 2020. When John James ran for U.S. Senate in 2020, he won the seat by 3 points.

But another major sign of the Democratic shift is the 40% swing from 2014 to 2022 in gubernatorial races and 13% in the presidential contests between 2016 and 2024.

Both candidates have been raising large amounts of money. Huizenga raised $91,362 through mid-July this year and had $175,041 cash on hand in his pre-primary campaign finance report, while Glanville, during the same period, raised $310,588 and had $334,879 in the bank.

Huizenga should not be underestimated, but he has a tall task ahead of him to score another win as he did four years ago in what was also a good year for Michigan Democrats. Perhaps one X-factor in Huizenga’s favor: U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, faces his first real reelection threat and likely will have millions of ads supporting him on West Michigan broadcast television.

2. Democrats won’t let Webber off the hook this time in 9^th: Democrats are certainly going to be going all-in on the 9^thSenate District seat this fall after now-Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills, won by 795 votes in 2022 in a strange race.

This district consists of parts of Macomb and Oakland counties, including all or parts of Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights, Troy, and Utica. All signs pointed to a hard-fought race in 2022, but then state Democrats, unhappy with their candidate, abandoned the seat. Given the one-sided nature of outside involvement, it was a surprise that Webber barely won.

It’s a competitively mixed district where President Donald Trump won by 5 points in 2024, and James won by 1 point, but Biden won by 1 point in 2020 and Whitmer won by 12 points in 2022.

Democrats have made inroads in this district in recent years as well, with a 41% shift their way between the 2014 and 2022 gubernatorial races. The shift to Democrats in presidential elections was only 1% between 2016 and 2024.

However, Democrats had a 46% advantage in the August primary turnout in a race in which Troy City Council member Theresa Brooks won a three-person race.

Prior to the primary, Webber raised $91,730 and reported $268,352 cash on hand to defend the seat, while Brooks had raised $212,126 and went into the primary with $44,461 cash on hand.

Webber is a formidable incumbent who is co-chairing the Senate Republicans’ election efforts this cycle. He also works across the aisle and has been a reliable crossover vote like Huizenga. Webber is in for an expensive fight, but may be somewhat safer than Huizenga. Brooks, unlike Glanville, lacks the proven vote-getting record in the key part of the district. Glanville can undercut Huizenga in his home base of Walker, but Brooks needs a strong performance in Rochester to win, and that’s Webber’s home base.

3. A big Republican opportunity in Oakland County’s open 13^th: Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-West Bloomfield, opted not to run for a third and final term in the 13^thSenate District following a court-ordered redraw of several Detroit-area districts, which shifted her from a strongly Democratic district and put her in a far more competitive Oakland County district.

As redrawn, it includes all or parts of Commerce Township, Lyon, Milford, Orchard Lake, South Lyon, Sylvan Lake, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield, West Bloomfield Township, and Wixom.

This, coupled with Republicans recruiting former Rep. Ryan Berman of Commerce Township, gives the GOP its strongest opportunity to gain a seat in the Senate.

Both candidates have been strong fundraisers, with Carlson having the advantage before the primary. Oakland County Deputy Executive Sean Carlson, the Democrat, raised $152,762 this year during the pre-primary period and had $187,345 left in the bank, compared to Berman having raised $54,395 with $50,469 cash on hand.

Although there was a 44% Democratic primary turnout advantage in August, the district went for Trump by 1 point in 2024, Whitmer by 13 in 2022, Biden by 3 in 2020, and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, by 0.4 point in 2024.

There was a 36% shift toward Democrats between the 2014 and 2022 gubernatorial races, but only 1% between the 2016 and 2024 presidential contests.

This race will be a critical pickup opportunity for Republicans in addition to holding the 30^th and 9^th districts if they hope to regain the majority in November.

4. Hertel favored in Republican tilting 12^th:Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-Saint Clair Shores, has a sizeable fundraising advantage that will be needed to hold this district made up of parts of Macomb, St. Clair, and Wayne counties.

Hertel, as of July, in his pre-primary report, had a sizeable cash advantage over Republican challenger John Goldwater of New Baltimore. Hertel raised $238,703 this year through mid-July and had $307,338 in the bank, while Goldwater had raised $18,793 and had $2,163 remaining.

The district is competitive, but Republican tilting, consisting of Algonac, Chesterfield Township, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Woods, Harrison Township, and Saint Clair Shores.

This is an area won by Trump by 9 points in 2024 and by 4 points in 2020, while Whitmer won it by 8 points in 2022 and James by 4 points in 2020.

Democratic shifts in the district have also been notable, by 23% between the 2014 and 2022 gubernatorial races, though just 0.5% from the 2016 to 2024 presidential contests. There was also a 31% Democratic advantage in primary turnout.

However, Hertel narrowly won the seat in 2022 by 404 votes over then-Rep. Pamela Hornberger of Chesterfield. That being said, Hertel faced a more well-known opponent in 2022. Goldwater is a small business owner and a former pastor, and will need to get out the vote like Hornberger did four years ago, with party backing, to compete. On paper, Hertel could face a tough fight, but Republican operatives have made no secret that they failed to get a top-tier challenger.

5. Open 32^ndDistrict in Muskegon/Manistee gives Dems a reach opportunity: The 32^nd Senate District in western Michigan is a Republican leaning district in which the GOP’s candidate, Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, has a clear advantage in name recognition against Democratic candidate Rebecca Amidon of Manistee, who is an adjunct professor at Mid Michigan College and a past vice chair of the Manistee County Democratic Party.

Consisting of Benzie, Mason, and Oceana counties and parts of Manistee and Muskegon counties, this district is not overwhelmingly Republican. Trump won it by 5 points in 2020 and 6 points in 2024. James won it by 6 points in 2020 and Whitmer by 4 in 2022.

There was a 15% Democratic advantage in primary turnout, potentially encouraging to Democrats, though notably less than in the first four districts. There was also a 5% Democratic shift between the 2014 and 2022 gubernatorial races in the district, but a 1% shift toward the Republicans between the 2016 and 2024 presidential races – again, more favorable data for the GOP than the first four seats.

Amidon narrowly outraised Cole in the pre-primary reporting period in July, raising $106,616 to Cole’s $81,123. She also had $98,458 cash on hand, compared to Cole’s $69,506.

Like Hertel in the 12^th district, Cole may have the advantage here, despite the potentially competitive nature of the district. Term-limited Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, won this seat in 2022 with 52.8% of the vote over Democratic Rep. Terry Sabo of Muskegon.

Although both are running for legislative office for the first time, the Republican lean of the district and Cole’s name recognition likely give him an advantage going into the general. If Democrats were to have a big night in November and grow their Senate majority, this would be a seat within striking distance and one they’d love to take along with the ones higher on this list.

Not on the list

For now, none of these districts deserves even Watchlist consideration, so narrow is the field of competitive seats for the Senate. But before consigning them to oblivion, here’s why we have classified them as not belonging on a list to watch, in order of district number.

Republicans fail to get an A-lister against Camilleri in 4^th: Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, is one of the most talented campaigners in the Legislature. He won his old House seat in 2016 and 2020 despite Trump carrying the seat both times. He blew away a Republican opponent in 2022 despite Senate Republicans going heavily negative on him.

Republicans are fielding Rockwood City Councilmember Marcie Grzywacz, a nurse, in this southern Wayne County district (editor’s note: this story has been changed to remove an incorrect reference to Grzywacz’s lack of previous political experience). Although this seat was a virtual tie between former Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump in 2024, Trump isn’t on the ballot this year, and it was a Whitmer +17 seat in 2022. Camilleri, the presumptive next Senate Democratic leader, was sitting on almost $390,000 in his campaign account as of July 19 compared to just $33,000 for Grzywacz. Further, Democrats enjoyed 47% higher turnout in the Aug. 4 primary here than Republicans.

Republicans would love to distract Camilleri from helping other Democrats by keeping him stuck in his district. But there’s just nothing happening here, yet, to suggest Camilleri won’t roll.

Klinefelt in the clear in 11^th: The 2024 redistricting was a big help to Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, making her formerly swing district now a Democratic leaning seat in Macomb County. Democratic turnout was a whopping 54% higher in the primary than Republican turnout. Even in Macomb County, this was still a Harris +3 district. It was Whitmer +23. Johnnie Townsend of Sterling Heights, the Republican nominee, has a campaign finance reporting waiver, meaning he’ll spend less than $1,000. This one’s over.

Harrison should be fine in the 28th: If this weren’t looming as such a big Democratic year, Republicans might take a serious look at the 28^th Senate District in northeast Ingham and parts of Clinton and Shiawassee counties. Rashida Harrison of Lansing, with the backing of the progressive movement, was the surprise winner of the Democratic primary, even though she spent less than $1,000 and had no visible campaign.

Democrats in Lansing and East Lansing are rallying around her, and given the Democratic nature of the seat, she should roll. It was Harris +9 and Whitmer +21. There was a massive Democratic turnout edge in the primary of 55%. Republicans have an experienced candidate in Julie DeRose of DeWitt, a business owner and insurance/real estate agent, but it would take an A-plus Republican candidate plus a big Republican year for something to happen, provided Harrison gets out and runs a campaign.

Greene-Tunney sequel has no juice so far in 35^th: It’s just hard to imagine how Republican Jason Tunney of Saginaw Township can reverse his 19-point blowout defeat to now Sen. Chedrick Greene, D-Saginaw, in the May special election. It was Harris +1 in 2024 and Whitmer +13 in 2022. The Democratic turnout in the Aug. 4 primary mirrored the advantage the party had here in the February special primary election.

Damoose a reach seat for Democrats in 37^th? Probably not: Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, is very popular and a big favorite for reelection. But Democratic turnout in the 37^th Senate District that stretches from Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties across the Mackinac Bridge to Chippewa County exceeded Republican turnout by 17%. That was interesting. Democrats are dominant in Leelanau County and the majority now in Grand Traverse, too. But the eastern Upper Peninsula, once Democratic, has turned deep red, to go with heavily Republican counties in between. This district was Trump +10, Tudor Dixon +1, and Kristina Karamo +1 (!). Damoose ran way ahead of Dixon in 2022, winning by 13 points, so he’s proven he doesn’t need a big top-of-the-ticket performance to take care of business.

The Democrat, Kaitlin Gallup of Cedar, is active in politics but a newcomer to running for state office. She reported about $11,000 on hand. Only if Republicans suffer a 2008-level meltdown with their base staying home would this seat get interesting.

Could Cambensy’s presence complicate Prestin’s path in 38^th? Survey says: No. Republicans had an absolutely vicious, brutal primary won by Rep. David Prestin, R-Cedar River, over former Rep. Beau LaFave that featured bad blood between Prestin and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet. Might some of that carry over into November? And what about former Rep. Sara Cambensy, a Democrat when she served in the House, who grew estranged from her caucus and later joined the House Republican staff, running here as an independent?

Does that maybe create an opening for Democrat Kelli Van Ginhoven of Escanaba? Yeah, no. Van Ginhoven has all of $9,200 in her campaign fund and, more importantly, the seat covering most of the Upper Peninsula is just too deep red. Of all the competitive and theoretically competitive seats, it’s the only one where Republican turnout topped Democratic turnout in the Aug. 4 primary, by 6%. It was Trump +18, Dixon +6, and Karamo +6. Cambensy’s base is in the Marquette area, the Democratic core of the seat, so if anything, her presence seems like a boon to Prestin. Things would have to get utterly weird for something unexpected to transpire here.

As President Donald Trump threatens to increase tariffs on Canadian goods, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer criticized Trump’s tariff policy, saying Michigan families will have to pay for it.

The United States and Canada failed to reach a trade deal over the last few days, and Trump imposed a 50% tariff on $20 billion of the country’s exports this past weekend based on an obscure statute from 1930 that has never been used to impose tariffs.

On Monday, Trump threatened to increase tariffs on all automobile parts to 50% starting on January 1.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the allies were “at war” now over trade and said there would be a response back.

Whitmer posted on X on Saturday that Michiganders would be uniquely harmed by the “chaotic tariff wars” and that it would “cut as a tax hike on Michigan families and businesses by raising prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.”

She focused on the automotive industry in the state, saying those companies “face the difficult decision of laying off workers or passing costs onto their customers, who are already suffering because of the GOP’s gamesmanship.” She called for an end to the chaos and said, “Michiganders literally cannot afford to keep paying these Republican tariff taxes.”

Whitmer has been a longtime critic of Trump’s tariff policies while keeping an otherwise cordial relationship with the president. Whitmer wrote an op-ed last year in The Washington Post calling for a more stable economic policy.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel also went on the attack against Trump, saying it was “B.S.” and that “the reckless tariffs are just going to cause prices to rise even further.”

However, he said Republican candidates like U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and Mike Rogers don’t care.

“Canada is Michigan’s largest trading partner and our economies are intertwined,” Hertel said in a statement. “This trade war and the resulting tariffs will raise costs on families and punish our state’s manufacturing industry. Michigan Republicans own this disaster, and voters deserve answers from Republican candidates on why they’re dutifully standing by as Trump continues to sabotage Michigan’s economy.”

The Michigan Smart Trade Alliance, which includes groups such as the Detroit Regional Chamber, MichAuto, and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, also criticized the policy move, saying the group has heard in its polls that 74% of Michigan voters understand tariffs are contributing to inflation, and 70% of respondents called for federal lawmakers to pursue a different trade policy to lower costs.

“Michigan residents repeatedly tell pollsters that the cost of living is their top issue of worry and concern,” MISTA spokesperson John Sellek said in a statement. “They are looking to their members of Congress to pursue trade and tariff policies that encourage fair trade and stable supply chains with close trading partners like Canada, while holding other countries fully accountable.”

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