Two years ago, for the first time in nearly 40 years, Democrats took complete control of Lansing with the reelection of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and wins in both the state House and Senate. The new Democratic trifecta took many Lansing insiders by complete surprise; these are folks who only knew the state Capitol with some amount of Republican control.
The win had huge policy implications in the state including the repeal of the 1931 law criminalizing abortion and the repeal of the state’s Right-to-Work law; Democrats also added LGBTQ protections to the state’s civil rights law and voted for new gun-safety measures.
Now, two years on, the entire state House is up for election again and Democrats are trying to hold onto - if not grow - their slim 56-54 majority while Republicans want to win back a seat at the majority table. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake policy-wise in the new year and whether or not the state House remains Democratic will have a big impact on Whitmer’s final two-year agenda and her legacy in office. With that in mind, we spent the entire It’s Just Politics podcast this week taking a look at the House toss-up seats throughout the state, what candidates in both parties are running on and the latest fundraising numbers.
Dig deeper: Jordyn Hermani and Simon Schuster of Bridge Michigan joined the pod this week and Jordyn brought us the news that the state House and Senate have had the fewest number of voting days this year since Whitmer first became governor in 2019. Republicans blame Democrats, Democrats point the finger at Republicans. Read the story and decide for yourself.
Got questions about the race for the State House? Or, just want to let us know what you want more of (less of?) in the newsletter? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
— GET CAUGHT UP —
Trump talks assassination attempt, border, trade in Michigan town hall
Former President Donald Trump was back in Michigan on Tuesday (as was his running mate JD Vance in a separate event in west Michigan) for his fifth visit since becoming the GOP presidential nominee in July. Trump was in Flint and, as Capitol Reporter Colin Jackson notes, “the town-hall style event was one of [his] first public appearances since an alleged would-be gunman was caught outside of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.” Trump spoke about the assassination attempt and “returned to other familiar campaign topics like the southern U.S. border and crime.”
Kamala Harris in Michigan: Action needed on gun violence, economic hurdles [The Detroit News]
The Vice President was in Farmington Hills on Thursday evening for a 90-minute sit-down with Oprah Winfrey. A studio audience of about 400, including Governor Whitmer and Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, and many more joining via Zoom, heard the Democratic nominee for president lay out her “stances on boosting the economy and talked about combating gun violence,” The Detroit News reports. “The vice president said she would work to combat price gouging, provide $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time home buys and a $50,000 tax deduction for state-up small businesses and expand per-child tax credits.”
Leaders of Democratic protest of Israel-Hamas war won’t endorse Harris but warn against Trump [The Associated Press]
“Leaders of a Democratic protest vote movement against the Israel-Hamas war said Thursday that they would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid but strongly urged their supporters to vote against Donald Trump in November,” Joey Cappelletti of The Associated Press reports. “Group leaders also made clear in their statement that they strongly opposed supporters voting for Trump or a third-party candidate who ‘could help inadvertently deliver a Trump presidency.’ Instead, they urged voters to register ‘anti-Trump votes and vote up and down the ballot.” More than 100,000 Michigan voters chose ‘Uncommitted’ during the state’s February Democratic primary and whether or not the group chose to endorse a presidential candidate before November has been closely watched in swing-state Michigan.
— IJP ON THE ROAD —
| Zoe joined the Friday News Roundup from NPR and WAMU this week and talked about the Teamsters presidential non-endorsement, the Federal Reserve cut, Congressional budgeting and much, much more. If you’re a fan of the Friday News Roundup, a reminder that 1A and everything you hear on Michigan Public - from Morning Edition to All Things Considered, from It’s Just Politics to Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me - is made possible by you! This week is Michigan Public’s Fall Membership Drive and we’re hoping you’ll support the station with a gift today (plus, choose some very public radio thank you gifts!) |
— WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THE DINNER TABLE —
RFK Jr.: Last week we joked that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might need his own section in the newsletter and… maybe it wasn’t a joke after all? The fight was back in court this week as RFK Jr. continues to try to have his name removed from the Michigan presidential ballot. As Rick reports, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that RFK Jr.’s name will remain on the ballot even though he's no longer running for president. It's a decision that could have consequential implications if the Michigan election remains as close as polls continue to show.
Calling elections: If you’ve ever wondered how races are called on election night (or, in some cases, days after), take a listen to Thursday’s show from 1A. Michigan Public, NPR and news organizations across the country use the Associated Press, “as the definitive source for when a state gets called in favor of one candidate or the other,” the show explains but, “how exactly does the process work”? David Scott with the AP answers those questions and more.
Prepping for Tuesday: We’re getting ready for next week when we’re hoping you’ll join us for our next It’s Just Politics Issues & Ale event! The in-person tickets are sold out but you can still join virtually and get your questions answered about Election 2024. It’s super easy to register (and it's free)! We’re looking forward to talking with you!
Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
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