Two debates of importance to Michigan took place last night… but you’d be forgiven if you’d only heard about one of them.
Vice presidential candidates Republican Senator JD Vance and Democratic Governor Tim Walz took the stage in New York last night for the first and only vice presidential debate of Election 2024. Being dubbed “Midwestern Nice,” the 90-plus minute debate was respectful in tone and focused on policy.
Meantime, in Northern Michigan, a separate debate was playing out — one that could help determine whether Democrats keep control of the state House and their trifecta in Lansing next year. The so-called Cherry Pie Debate (yes, there really was pie involved) featured two candidates running in Michigan’s toss-up 103rd House District. Incumbent Democratic Representative Betsy Coffia won the district by less than 800 votes two years ago and is being challenged this cycle by Republican Lisa Trombley.
This week It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Stephen Henderson, host of WDET’s Created Equal, and Andrea Bitely, principal at Bitely Communications, to take a look at what Michigan voters took away from the vice presidential debate and, then, Ed Ronco, News Director at Interlochen Public Radio and co-moderator of The Cherry Pie Debate, joins in to break down the 103rd debate and the impact the race will have in Lansing.
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