In The News
In Senate forum, Michigan Dems debate Israel, agree to support nominee
June 2, 2026, by
- Michigan Democratic US Senate hopefuls took questions from the party’s Black, Faith, Jewish and Senior caucuses
- All three candidates called for peace in the Middle East but offered differing opinions on support for Israel
- Despite differences, Haley Stevens, Abdul El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow each said they’d support the primary winner
Efforts to facilitate peace in the Middle East should extend to calling out antisemitism and Islamophobia at home, Michigan Democratic US Senate candidates told party activists Monday during an online forum.
Days after sharing a debate stage on Mackinac Island, US Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed took questions from members of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Black Caucus, Faith Caucus, Jewish Caucus and Senior Caucus.
Asked what role, if any, the United States should play in facilitating a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, all three candidates stressed the need for peace in the region, but McMorrow and El-Sayed both warned increasing domestic tensions and hateful acts towards Jewish and Muslim residents also need to be addressed.
“We must be able to separate healthy criticism of the actions of a government from increasing anger at Jews around the world, especially here at home,” McMorrow said. “We have to call out antisemitism and hatred when we see it.”
Mike Duggan drops governor bid in Michigan election shocker
May 21, 2026, by
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is ending his bid for governor, his campaign said Thursday in a stunning announcement.
In a message to supporters, Duggan said the political landscape appears to have shifted considerably toward Democrats, making his independent campaign less viable.
“I got into this race to try to change our politics, not to be a spoiler,” Duggan wrote. “I’m still hopeful our campaign will prove to have a real long-term impact.”
Duggan had pitched his campaign as a rejection of traditional partisan politics that had, in his casting, snared state government in gridlock and acrimony.
“For the last 18 months I’ve worked every day to try to change Michigan’s toxic party politics,” Duggan said in a statement. “… We knew the independent route was filled with challenges.”
Despite early optimistic polling and a slew of local union endorsements, Duggan saw his support slump in recent weeks as support began to coalesce around partisan choices.
A recent poll sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce — which had endorsed him — showed Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson leading Duggan by 11 percentage points in a hypothetical three-way matchup with Republican John James, who was second in the survey.
While many political observers expressed shock at Duggan’s announcement, Republican pollster Steve Mitchell told Bridge Michigan he was not at all surprised.
“Everything Mike Duggan does as a candidate is poll-driven … and it’s been clear to me for a long time that there’s no path for him to win the governorship,” said Mitchell, who conducted surveys of Detroit voters during Duggan’s winning mayoral campaigns.
State leaders will protect Michigan elections from interference and delays
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2026, Contact: Cheri Hardmon, HardmonC@Michigan.gov
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, and Attorney General Dana Nessel assured Michiganders that the 2026 elections will proceed as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, federal, and state law. State officials will not tolerate any attempt to interfere, delay, or intimidate.
Their statements come in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais that eliminated key protections in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana subsequently took unprecedented action to suspend the state’s U.S. Congressional elections, which are already in progress. On Thursday, Tennessee state lawmakers approved and Governor Bill Lee signed into law a new U.S. House map that dismantled the state’s only majority-Black district.
“States run elections,” Secretary Benson said. “We will not allow anyone – not the president, the Justice Department, or anti-democracy groups and campaigns – to interfere in our secure, independent process. Together, we have and will continue to stand strong against federal overreach, attacks, and interference. Michigan voters can rest assured; we won’t cancel elections or permit any political candidate or party to organize voter intimidation crusades targeting our citizens.”
“Despite the Supreme Court’s recent attack on the Voting Rights Act, Michigan’s elections are safe, efficient, fair, and secure,” said Governor Whitmer. “Our maps, which were drawn by our independent commission, are fair and will not change. Our elections will go on as planned and executed by more than 1,600 locally elected clerks across Michigan who ensure that every citizen can vote and have their vote counted. I’m proud of our work to defend voting rights in Michigan, from vetoing measures to disenfranchise or intimidate voters to investing millions to improve elections. Secretary of State Benson, Attorney General Nessel, Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist, and I are united in protecting voting rights and acting as a check and balance to what is happening nationwide. Let’s keep working together to uphold the rule of law and protect voting rights.”
“Michigan elections are safe and secure,” said Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist. “We will not tolerate any attempt at interference or intimidation against our independent process. In Michigan, we will continue to follow state law, federal law, and the U.S. Constitution so that every voter has the opportunity to make their voice heard.”
“While other states and the federal government remain focused on sowing chaos and disenfranchising voters because they are terrified of what the outcome may be in upcoming elections, Michiganders should have confidence that my office will fight back against desperate attempts to silence them,” said Attorney General Nessel. “We will not be moved by those who prefer intimidation over democracy. The fundamental right to vote should not be up for debate. Michigan elections will remain secure and on schedule.”
In 2018, Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the state’s legislative and congressional districts fairly in a citizen-led, transparent process.
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Jocelyn Benson unveils ‘firewall’ for election oversight, governor run
LANSING — As she runs for Michigan governor, Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says she will “recuse” herself from all decisions and administrative tasks that have a direct impact on the gubernatorial election.
Benson announced the new “firewall” policy late Wednesday. Her office said she had been working on it since September, but its release comes as Republican rivals question her ability to fairly oversee elections in which she competes.
In a letter to the Board of State Canvassers, Benson said she formalized the policy “in the interest of transparency, and to establish precedent of a public-facing firewall policy” that future secretaries of state could adopt.
“These processes largely reflect how the Bureau of Elections and I handled potential conflicts of interest during my reelection campaign in 2022,” Benson wrote in a letter to board Chair Richard Houskamp, a Republican appointee.
Michigan elections are administered by local clerks, and state-level functions are carried out by nonpartisan civil servants in the Bureau of Elections. Benson’s conflict of interest policy largely involves the bureau keeping its work private from Benson until decisions have been finalized.
Amid GOP doubts, Jocelyn Benson seeks to assure voters she can run fair election
LANSING — Amid Republican calls to recuse herself from overseeing fall elections she will compete in, Michigan Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson is preparing to release a new conflict-of-interest avoidance guide.
Benson has been developing the document for nearly a year with assistance from the Election Reformers Network, a nonprofit that has developed recommendations to help secretaries of state build trust in elections when they are on the ballot.
Her office will finalize Benson’s plan “in the coming weeks,” spokesperson Angela Benander told Bridge Michigan.
“The public wants to know, and we want to reassure them,” she added.
It’s unclear whether Benson will try to adopt formal rules to avoid any potential conflicts, or whether she will simply pledge new safeguards to ensure fair administration of an election her office will oversee. Benander said they are “looking at the options we have within existing law.”
But the forthcoming document could address at least some of the concerns raised by Republican gubernatorial candidates hoping to face Benson in the general election.
While experts say those concerns are largely unfounded or overstated, multiple GOP hopefuls have questioned Benson’s ability to supervise fall elections as the state’s chief elections officer.
Last week, as he dropped off petition signatures to qualify for the August primary ballot, GOP gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson suggested the federal government should be in charge of signature validation.
“I just think that because we end up having the secretary of state in charge of her own election, that she ought to recuse herself,” said Johnson, who was one of five candidates kept off the ballot in 2022 due to faulty signatures.
He went further on social media, arguing Benson “must recuse herself from overseeing this election” entirely.
Michigan Court of Claims Dismisses Lawsuit Against State Over Edenville Dam Failure
LANSING – Today, the Michigan Court of Claims dismissed a lawsuit filed against the State of Michigan (PDF) regarding the May 2020 Edenville Dam failure, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The Court found that the State was not responsible for the disaster and that the key allegations made by the plaintiffs were not supported by the evidence.
“The Edenville Dam failure was tragic, and while the evidence has always shown the State was not responsible, we have taken decisive action against those who were,” said Attorney General Nessel. “We acknowledge the lasting impact this has on Mid-Michigan, and our thoughts remain with those affected.”
On May 19, 2020, the east embankment of the Edenville Dam failed, sending a surge of water downstream that resulted in catastrophe for the surrounding communities, including State resources. The State had a substantial claim against the dam owners, but when the dam owners filed for bankruptcy and flood survivors pursued the owners’ assets, the State stepped out of the way to ensure that as much of the assets as possible would be distributed to flood survivors.
The State still pursued the dam owners in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and obtained a ruling that the owners had violated the law. In 2023, the State secured a nearly $120 million judgment against Lee Mueller, the person in charge of the dam, reflecting his responsibility for the catastrophic failure. The Court held that Mueller did not disclose his belief about the dam’s vulnerability to the State, and noted that Boyce Hydro “never implemented” a planned “cutoff wall” that “would have been more likely than not to have prevented the failure.”
The Court of Claims ruled decisively in favor of the State on every key factual and legal issue. The Court’s factual findings confirm what the State has been communicating to the public ever since the dam failed. For example, the Court found that:
- At all times, the dam was operationally controlled by the private owners, and not the State;
- None of the many inspections and analyses of the dam during its nearly 100-year lifetime forewarned the State that the normal water levels of Wixom Lake were unsafe or presented an imminent risk of harm;
- Once jurisdiction of the dam passed to the State from federal regulators, EGLE acted promptly to address the safety issues at the dam;
- The initiative to maintain the normal summer level of Wixom Lake was not initiated by the State;
- The State did not withhold information or seek to conceal information related to the condition of the Edenville Dam; and
- The State did not prioritize environmental concerns or natural resource damages over the public health, safety, and welfare.
9 governor hopefuls to make Michigan ballot — if their signatures are valid
LANSING — Nearly four years after a signature fraud scandal kept him off Michigan’s primary ballot, gubernatorial hopeful Perry Johnson returned to the Michigan Bureau of Elections on Tuesday to try again.
The Bloomfield Township businessman was the eighth of nine major party candidates to file necessary voter signatures to qualify for the Aug. 4 primary. His campaign said he was delivering more than 29,000 — well above the 15,000 required but just shy of the maximum 30,000 allowed.
Now, state elections officials will review the signatures to determine how many are valid before recommending to the Board of State Canvassers whether to certify candidates for the primary ballot.
“This time was a dramatic difference in so many different ways, because I wasn’t going to take any chances,” Johnson said after dropping off several boxes of petitions at a state office building in Lansing. “I’m the quality guru, so I better get quality petitions.”
After outsourcing signature oversight four years ago, Johnson’s campaign kept the process in-house this time around. He said they had “a whole team of people” spend two and a half weeks reviewing petition signatures and crossing out any that might be suspect.
He was one of five Republican candidates to drop off petitions in the past week, joining pastor Ralph Rebandt, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House Speaker Tom Leonard and US Rep. John James.
In the Democratic primary, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson both filed voter signatures, as did a lesser-known candidate Kim Thomas, a former federal auditor from Battle Creek.
Michigan Democrats push party left. Will voters follow?
LANSING — Michigan Democrats appear to be at a crossroads after liberal anti-war activists dominated a weekend convention to nominate candidates who some fear may be too far left to win the purple state this fall.
But progressives heralded the nomination of candidates like Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit for attorney general as a necessary turning point for a party that attempted moderation in 2024 but lost the White House to President Donald Trump.
“If certain people see new people coming in as a threat, I think they need to evaluate how they’re looking at the situation,” said Connor Berdy, a member of the party’s progressive caucus and founder of Vote for Change, a progressive consultancy cooperative.
More than 7,200 delegates gathered in Detroit on Sunday for the Michigan Democratic Party’s spring endorsement convention, which officials heralded as a record turnout.
There, attendees backed Savit for attorney general and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist for secretary of state. Activists also booed US Rep. Haley Stevens, an establishment favorite for US Senate, and ousted University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker over the school’s controversial crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters during the Israel-Hamas war.
Acker was defeated by Amir Makled, an attorney who defended some of the U-M students charged in the protests. Backed by progressive groups, Makled is a vocal critic of Israel and has been accused of antisemitism.
Michigan Dems back Garlin Gilchrist and Eli Savit, oust U-M’s Jordan Acker
DETROIT — Thousands of Michigan Democrats packed a convention center here Sunday, voting to endorse Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist for secretary of state and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit for attorney general.
Both are now expected to make the November ballot as the Michigan Democratic Party’s general election nominees.
Delegates also endorsed Amir Makled for the University of Michigan Board of Regents, ousting incumbent Jordan Acker in a heavily contested race that became a proxy for discontent over how the school handled pro-Palestinian protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
More than 7,200 delegates crowded into the Huntington Center in Detroit for the second day of the convention — a record turnout, according to Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr.
mdp convention
More than 7,000 members attended the Michigan Democratic Party endorsement convention in Detroit, according to Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. (Jordyn Hermani / Bridge Michigan)
But with the large crowd came discontent.
Errors with delegate credentialing delayed planned votes, prompting shouts from the floor of the sometimes chaotic convention. Booing also erupted multiple times during speeches, apparently driven by progressive activists.
By the end of the night, however, the winning candidates were pushing for party unity and shifting the focus to fall elections.
“Our unity is our strength. Our unity is our power,” Gilchrist said in a victory speech. “Coming out of this convention, we will have a Michigan Democratic Party that’s united and cannot be defeated.”
Gilchrist’s win sets the stage for a November matchup against Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, who the Michigan Republican Party endorsed for attorney general at a separate convention in late March.
Savit will face Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, the GOP endorsee for attorney general.
‘No Kings’ protests draw big crowds across Michigan
Thousands lined the streets of cities from Detroit to Grand Rapids, to Ferndale and Traverse City, along with smaller cities like Gladwin, which was among more than 100 Michigan locations with planned events.
In signs, chants and speeches, demonstrators accused Trump of facism, autocracy and corruption. Michiganders outraged by his administration demanded Trump’s resignation or, as one crowd chanted in Lansing, jailing.
“People are more outraged every day by what’s going on,” said Mary Force, who organized the rally in Gladwin, a city of about 3,000 nestled in the heart of Michigan’s farm country, where about 150 protesters gathered, cheering at honks but fielding some jeers as well.
Republicans dismissed the events as “anti-American.” US Rep. Lisa McClain, a Bruce Township Republican and Trump ally, posted a photo on X of the president in royal regalia, writing, “terrify a leftist today.”