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We're Zoe and Rick (we’ll do more introductions in the coming weeks in the newsletter) but for now: we’re the hosts of It's Just Politics. Every Friday we'll be coming to your inboxes with the latest news from Michigan politics. We’ll bring you a wrap-up of the week’s most interesting political news from our state and what we’re watching nationally. And we’ll go behind the headlines to dig into the ‘why’ behind those stories.
So, let’s start with what’s on the mind of every political observer in Michigan this week (and every candidate, campaign manager, and pollster): Tuesday’s primary election.
We have the first open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan in a decade with the retirement of Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow. It’s a rare thing to not have an incumbent running and this race will absolutely help determine which party holds control of the U.S. Senate next year. Aside from the bonkers presidential race, it’s the only other statewide election on the ballot in November. Voters will be choosing the Republican and Democratic candidates on Tuesday (many already have because of early in-person and absentee voting) to move forward in the general election. Rick joined Weekend Edition Sunday to talk more about the race and you can listen to Morning Edition host Doug Tribou’s interviews with all five candidates too.
The Center for Politics’ Crystal Ball rates two Michigan Congressional Districts - the 7th and 8th - as true toss-ups this cycle and there’s a primary race between three Republicans and three Democrats in the latter. Michigan Public’s Steve Carmody reported on the Republican and Democratic candidates running to replace retiring longtime Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee in the 8th. And, there’s a very interesting primary taking place in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District that Clara Hendrickson profiles this week in the Detroit Free Press.
You can hear it on-air at 3:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. on Stateside, or subscribe to IJP via your favorite podcast platform - just search for "It's Just Politics." Tune in next Wednesday for a recap of the Primary.
This week: Get caught up
Mich. Supreme Court sets stage for minimum wage boost
Rick's Take: ‘Adopt and Amend’ was a kick in the teeth to Democrats in 2018 under GOP control and this decision pulls the rug out from under that. This Michigan Supreme Court decision is a win for unions and petition drives. The 4-3 decision also shows how (and why) political parties care so much about electing (and appointing) their nominees to the court(s).
📰 2024 Michigan elections: UAW endorses Kamala Harris ahead of Detroit visit [Bridge Michigan]
🎙️In a purple district, Republicans jostle for a chance at the 103rd State House seat [IPR]
📻 Harris announces record-breaking $310 million July fundraising haul [NPR]
📺 Zoe joins Off the Record with pollster Richard Czuba [WKAR]
IJP on the road
We had such a fun time with y’all Wednesday evening in Lansing. The latest Issues & Ale was at Lansing Brewing Company earlier this week and panelists John Sellek, Chief Strategist at Harbor Strategic Public Affairs, and Adrian Hemond, CEO of Grassroots Midwest, brought the 🔥🔥 per usual.
Come for the political analysis, stay for Sellek explaining brat summer.
What we're talking about at the dinner table
- The National Association of Black Journalists interview with former President Donald Trump. I mean, how could we not be talking about that?
- Zoe was fascinated by The Washington Post’s How Kalama Harris took control of the Democratic Party. It’s a rundown of what was going on behind the scenes during the first few hours - and days - of the nascent campaign.
- Just how does Harris change the dynamics in Michigan? The Detroit News/WDIV just published a Glengariff Group poll that showed the presidential race in a dead heat in Michigan. In the last survey months ago, President Joe Biden trailed former President Donald Trump by 8 points. So, is this tie a blip driven by recent events or the start of a trend? Also, one thing Rick finds important about the poll is it includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who could be an inflection point. We talked more about that on this week’s Off the Record and we’ll talk even more about his truly weird Natural Law Party ballot placement in a future newsletter.
Yours in political nerdiness,
Zoe Clark & Rick Pluta
Co-hosts, It's Just Politics
P.S. We want to hear from you! Email us with what you want more of (or less of) and what questions you want answered about election 2024! Drop us a note at politics@michiganpublic.org
