Daily Detroit
May 28, 2026
Jer Staes
Today’s conversation is with Detroit Regional Chamber president and Chief Executive Offcer Sandy K. Baruah. He explains why he thinks more common ground between business and policymakers, and between Democrats and Republicans, is the only way to reverse those long‑term trends.
We get into how constant partisan whiplash on policy, from electric vehicles to economic development, makes it nearly impossible for Michigan’s signature industries to plan long term. Baruah lays out why Michigan’s quality of life, workforce, and higher‑ed system still give the state a real chance to win.
“We’re trying to really highlight that Michigan has a lot of holes in our roof that need to be fixed,” said Baruah. “We’re pairing that with common ground because the only way to fix these problems, to reverse these trends that we’ve seen where we’ve gone from top 15 to bottom 10, is common ground. We need the business community and the political community to come together.”