Hauck, Webber Leading Possibilities For Next Senate R Leader

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/09/2026) The race to be the next Senate Republican leader is, by all accounts, an amicable contest among the group's returning members that, if history is any guide, will be decided among the group before the November election.

Numerous sources tell MIRS that both Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Union Twp.) and Sen. Michael Webber (R-Rochester Hills) are interested in the post and have support. Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) remains a possible compromise wildcard option, as well. Hauck and Webber are co-chairing the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC).

Of Senate Republicans' 18-member caucus, eight are eligible to seek reelection because they're not term-limited.

Sources following the race closely stress that the group is working well together and that the driving focus among all eight is re-taking the majority. The hope is that those interested in the head leadership post will ultimately work it out over beers at some point before the new freshman class arrives.

There's a real desire to reach a consensus preemptively, avoiding any over-the-top fundraising warfare and closed-door grievances that are often associated with leadership races and can split a caucus. However, in the last 28 years, Republican leaders in the chamber have been able to work out the leadership slots among themselves without the caucus needing to cast secret votes after the general election.

Hauck's leadership bid includes a partnership with Sen. Mark Huizenga (R-Walker), who is running in one of the most difficult districts for Republicans to maintain this year in the Grand Rapids and Rockford area. Hauck and Huizenga's efforts are being supported by Bright Spark Strategies, the consulting firm favored by former Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey.

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) started to break away from the firm – although not entirely – following the 2022 elections, when Republicans lost their more than 40-year majority stronghold in the chamber. Connected to Hauck, Huizenga and Bright Spark is the Take It Back SuperPAC, which can accept unlimited corporate donations.

However, based on MIRS' discussions with multiple insider sources close to the caucus, Hauck's relationship with Bright Spark does face some scrutiny.

A few Republicans feel their services were not a good return on investment. For one, Bright Spark gets heavily involved in primaries, which can create awkward moments when their clients lose. There's also the fact that co-founder Heather Lombardini is facing charges related to a “dark money” scheme she used to fund the 2020 Unlock Michigan petition effort, although many Republicans feel those charges are trumped-up and politically motivated.

Also, Senate Republicans have a history of leaning heavily on an outside consulting firm, whether it's the Marketing Resource Group in the days of Denise DeCook or the Sterling Corporation and Steve Linder.

Hauck is viewed as a candidate who's good at fundraising, collaborating across the aisle and working well with the donor and lobbyist corps. However, he's not as comfortable speaking in public or with the media, unlike Nesbitt and the prior leaders. That is a concern.

After October 2025, Hauck's political action committee (PAC), the Hauck Majority Fund, spent $113,057 preemptively on races and had $38,380 left on the balance sheet. His candidate committee had $65,442 in cash on-hand.

Meanwhile, Webber can get deep on policy and doesn't mind taking a lead role on big public issues, such as problems with the state's psychiatric hospitals. Webber, who is in a competitive Oakland County swing seat, had spent $35,677 out of his Webber Majority Fund, had $7,352 left in it and has $192,918 in cash on-hand based on his last filing. He could also revitalize his Greater Rochester Leadership Fund as fundraising progresses, which has been dormant since his days in the House (2015-20).

Webber could have an edge in the leadership race if he's able to help gain wins in Metro Detroit battleground districts, like the 12th Senate district held by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) and the newly opened 13th, where Commerce Township Republican Ryan Berman is running to replace outgoing Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Keego Harbor).

Lindsey is the firebrand choice. He's one of the Senate's most conservative members and likely to have an appetite to shake up Lansing's institutional practices. He entered the Senate in the 2022 cycle with a President Donald Trump endorsement, and isn't afraid of public speaking.

However, he doesn't have the same fundraising numbers as Hauck and Webber, spending $725 in his Lindsey Impact Fund (it has a $687 closing balance as of late October) and $5,128 sitting on his candidate committee.

Furthermore, it is on folks' radar that after the 2026 elections, a member of the new freshman class – such as past state Rep. Andrew Beeler, a Port Huron Republican running to replace term-limited Sen. Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway), could take a swing at leadership.

Historically speaking, these Republican leadership races are worked out before a caucus vote. In the last 10 Senate GOP caucus races, only one came down to a secret vote after the November election.

In 2022, Nesbitt won uncontested.

In 2018, Shirkey struck a deal with Sen. Jim Stamas of Midland as Republicans approached a challenging dynamic – their majority shrinking by two seats and Republicans losing their super-majority status in Lansing as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ascended. Shirkey became leader, claiming to be focused on creating an environment “attractive to capital investment” and job creation with Whitmer, Stamas gained the appropriations chair seat.

In 2014, West Olive Republican Sen. Arlan Meekhof was uncontested after the caucus won 27 of the chamber's 38 seats, 19 of which were secured by returning incumbents.

In 2010, Monroe Republican Sen. Randy Richardville was unanimously elected by the caucus to be majority leader, four days after his opponent, Sen. John Proos of St. Joseph, dropped out of the running.

Additionally, then-Sen. Ken Sikkema, a Grandville Republican, was unanimously selected to be the caucus' leader in 2002. Furthermore, in 1998, Dan DeGrow, a Port Huron Republican, advanced from floor leader to majority leader without an issue. In 1990, Dick Posthumus faced a challenge from DeGrow that was worked out before the election. Posthumus was re-elected to the post without opposition in 1994. And Majority Leader John Engler won re-election without a challenger in 1986.

The only contested race that came to a caucus vote in the last 40 years was in 2006 when Rochester Republican Sen. Mike Bishop defeated Holland Sen. Wayne Kuipers and Jason Allen of Traverse City on the first ballot. Bishop was pushed over the top when the swing vote at the time, Ron Jelinek, picked Bishop and was awarded the Appropriations Committee Chair position.