It's Just Politics

In this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta bring you the results from Michigan’s 2024 elections and what they mean for the lame-duck legislative session and divided government in Lansing in 2025. Plus, conversations with outgoing Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee about the future of his party and Republican Congressman-elect Tom Barrett on the future of the GOP majority in Washington D.C.

In a special day-after Election Day, It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta join Stateside host April Baer to dissect what Election 2024 means for Michigan. From Republicans taking the state House to a new 5-2 Democratic-nominee majority on the state Supreme Court, the podcast this week is dedicated to local races and what the results mean for you.

Two percent of Michigan voters remain undecided in the race for president according to new polling by Glengariff Group for The Detroit News and WDIV. With a race that has consistently shown Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump within the margin of error, two percent could make all the difference in winning Michigan’s 15 electoral votes and the White House.

On this week’s It’s Just Politics, former Republican members of Congress Liz Cheney and Fred Upton both speak out in Michigan in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris for president; plus Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement makes a surprise endorsement in the race for a seat on the state’s highest court.

On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Elon Musk name checks Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on X, more than a million absentee ballots in Michigan are already sent in and the presidential candidates in Michigan are everywhere all at once. Plus, a surprising endorsement from Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement. Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined on this week’s podcast by Bridge Michigan’s Lauren Gibbons and the Detroit Free Press’ Clara Hendrickson.

If you ask Americans if they are concerned that there will be fraud in this year’s election, a majority will say yes. That’s according to new polling from NPR/PBS News and Marist. And if you break it down by party, 86 percent of Republicans say they are concerned while 33 percent of Democrats say they’re concerned.

On this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta share what you need to know about the race for control of Michigan’s Supreme Court; plus, the race between former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers and Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat heats up with a debate. And, Morning Edition highlights Michigan elections all-week long in the new series We, the Voters.

Michigan’s open Senate race will help to determine the makeup of the U.S. Senate next year and right now the polling shows it’s a tied race between Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, former Republican President Donald Trump, and their running mates continue to make near-weekly stops in Michigan. On this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta explore where the presidential candidates are heading and what it tells us about their campaign strategies in the final weeks of Election 2024. Plus, looking ahead to next week’s U.S. Senate debate between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Elissa Slotkin.

On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by WDET’s Stephen Henderson and Andrea Bitely of Bitely Communications to dig into the vice presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz; plus, Interlochen Public Radio’s Ed Ronco breaks down a state House race in Northern Michigan between Democratic Representative Betsy Coffia and GOP challenger Lisa Trombley that could have big impact in determining whether Democrats keep control in Lansing.