Elections

As the 2026 midterms approach, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte)'s campaign team is turning its attention to an East Lansing High School (ELHS) political club.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard announced that, if elected governor, he will appoint an Ambassador to the Upper Peninsula and establish a dedicated executive office presence, giving Yoopers a direct line to the Governor’s Office.

“How many of you guys think this plan has merit?” said 2026 gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan.

Musician Robert Ritchie, known by his stage name Kid Rock, endorsed John James (R-Shelby Township)' Republican bid to run for governor hours before his performance at a Turning Point USA event for the Super Bowl halftime show.

Artificial intelligence is being used by campaigns in the 2026 election cycle. It is new territory and its usage is plowing new ground.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson will urge viewers as part of a $3 million advertising buy to change the channel during halftime of Sunday's Super Bowl to the “Turning Point All American Halftime Show” instead of the NFL's official Bad Bunny halftime show.

President Donald Trump's suggestion in the Oval Office Wednesday that federal officials should step in to administer elections in Detroit drew swift, same-day condemnations from top Democratic leaders in Michigan.

The objectives of ensuring candidates and elected officials' privacy while also making their areas of residence more transparent to voters might seem to be somewhat in tension. A Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville) bill looks to move toward both.

U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit), the deep-pocketed entrepreneur who has financed his entire political career from his own checkbook, reported raising one $2,500 donation from his own district in the Oct. 1-Dec. 31 reporting quarter.

The Aug. 4 primaries are 183 days for Michigan, and MIRS recently looked at some contested primaries to watch in the state Senate, as 18 of the chamber's 38 seats will for certain not have incumbents running for reelection in them.

As of Jan. 30, only three congressional candidates have submitted signatures to qualify for Michigan's 2026 primary election, a slowdown that one election compliance professional said is not unusual this far out from the filing deadline.  

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan believes the Ypsilanti Township clerk may have “wrongly purged” as many as 200 citizens from its voter rolls.

Lansing is making it too “doggone hard” to do business, make a living, innovate and provide for families, and if elected governor, U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) told the Northern Michigan Policy Conference on Friday that he's going to “strip down” government regulation and redirect the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to focus on retention as part of a culture change.

Four Democratic candidates running for the Michigan House are making history this election cycle — and they call themselves the Dollhouse.

The gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) released a 63-second video on Thursday that makes the case that their candidate is President Donald Trump's best chance to see Republicans carry Michigan for its congressional candidates. Otherwise, if James is not successful, Republicans are at risk of losing the U.S. House and Trump will be impeached.

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) endorsed Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for governor Thursday afternoon during a campaign stop at Copper Moon in Lansing, saying Benson has proven she can deliver results and stand up for Michigan families amid rising costs and uncertainty at the federal level.

House Majority Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) announced Thursday he would not seek another term in the state House in 2026, opening up the possibility of pursuing other roles entering the 2026 election season.

U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) rejected attacks made by a 501(c)(4) that he's cut Medicaid and Medicare funding, and shot back by questioning how the “dark money” group is organized.

Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini says 239 folks on a Secretary of State (SOS) database used to summon jurors were not U.S. citizens, and 14 of them at some point were registered to vote in Michigan elections. Of those, 10 are still registered to vote.

Democrats appear to have picked the wrong issues to campaign on in 2024. Abortion, women's rights and voters' rights didn't move the needle, but Ed Sarpolus of Target Insyght said that based on his polling from this week, Dems shouldn't have that problem this year.