DeSana Points Finger At Hall, HRCC After GOP Rout

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/09/2026) Following Republicans' beating at the ballot box last week, Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton) came out swinging Monday, pointing fingers at House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) and the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) for the party's losses.

DeSana's release describes him as "the lone Republican survivor among Michigan's eleven 50/50 House seats in an Election Day bloodbath."

"Last Tuesday was the punishment for us being weak, limp and flaccid," DeSana said in a statement released by his campaign.

In a statement to MIRS, Hall did not directly address DeSana's assertions. Instead, he pointed to his record as Speaker, including his "Hall Ethics Accountability and Transparency (HEAT) Plan" that he said ended "secret pork spending," referring to legislatively directed spending items.

He also pointed to strengthening oversight with permanent subpoena power and creating six subcommittees to investigate state government, "uncovering huge abuses of power."

"I came to Lansing to break up the backroom deals and insider culture that have controlled this place for too long," Hall said. "We exposed and eliminated thousands of ghost employees and slush funds, saving people billions of dollars. And we closed the revolving door so politicians can't use public service to get a payday. The lobbyists, insiders and special interests had a good thing going until I got here. I'm proud we were able to change that. State government should work for the people of Michigan, not the people who know how to work the system."

Democrats flipped 11 Republican-held seats last Tuesday, 10 of those incumbents, securing a 63-47 majority in the House for the upcoming legislative term.

DeSana, meanwhile, claimed that "because of his criticism of House leadership," he didn't receive any funding from the HRCC or from House leadership funds, and that he was barred from receiving campaign walk days from Republican staff.

"As a liberty-minded legislator, I've always forged my own path. Voters could see I'm not an establishment Republican, and they rewarded that," DeSana said.

So while DeSana credited his independent approach for his victory, he accused Republican leadership of putting political donations ahead of reforms supported by voters.

"When you stop reforms that benefit the people, and these reforms are supported by the people, simply because you need the political donations for your massive war chest, that's political corruption, and the people overwhelmingly rejected that this election cycle," DeSana said.

He also pointed to an anti-Trump wave, frustration over the cost of living and Republican support for data center tax breaks as contributing factors to the party's defeat.

DeSana, who heads the Michigan DOGE Task Force, has supported legislation to repeal data center tax exemptions and was the lone Republican co-sponsor of legislation to subject the Legislature to the Freedom of Information Act.

"Establishment Republicanism is now deader than a doornail in our state and in America," DeSana said. "The hyper-partisan strategy of saying Republicans are good and Democrats are bad is not going to succeed going forward. Republicans have to promote a positive vision for America and speak to the people about their ideas of limited government, speak of returning to constitutional conservatism, and speak to our staunch defense of liberty."