August 23rd-September 12th, 2025

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has called for a special election to fill the vacant 35th District Senate seat, which has remained vacant since January when Kristen McDonald Rivet took office in the U.S. House of Representatives and resigned from her State Senate position. District 35 covers parts of the Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties and is considered a top battleground seat in Michigan. In the 2022 Michigan Senate election, the seat flipped when Democrat McDonald Rivet defeated Republican then-state Representative Annette Glenn with 53.4% of the vote.

Whitmer hopes the special election will yield a state senator that collaborates with her executive office to create more jobs, grow the economy, and boost literacy rates. The special primary election is to be held on February 3, 2026, with the general election to follow on May 5, 2026.

Lansing District Judge Kristen Simmons rejected all criminal charges against a group of 15 Republican electors who forged a counterfeit public document containing their own signatures claiming that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump had won Michigan in the 2020 election.

Simmons ruled that the defendants were not culpable of any criminal activity because they were acting under the direction of Trump attorney Shawn Flynn, and the Michigan Attorney General’s office had failed to establish probable cause. Therefore, the electors believed they were exercising their constitutional right to raise concerns about election fraud to the U.S. Senate.

A new report from AdImpact projects that in the next 14 months leading up to the 2026 Michigan midterm elections, $936 million is expected to be spent in political advertising. The open gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races are contributing factors to the considerable ad spending. Pending ballot eligibility for several petition initiatives could further intensify political expenses.

The U.S. Senate race to replace Senator Gary Peters (D- Bloomfield Township), is expected to be one of the most expensive upcoming races in the country. AdImpact reports that over $220 million was spent on Michigan’s 2024 U.S. Senate election, with projections for 2026 topping $500 million.

Heavy spending is likely in competitive state Senate and House districts, as well as the gubernatorial race. The Michigan Legislature races are predicted to be the second highest in the nation, with $56.9 million expected to be spent on advertisements. The race for governor, currently recognized as a toss-up, is forecasted to be the highest cost gubernatorial race nationwide with a projected $152 million. Compared to the 2022 cycle, similar competitive races drew $80 million.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is sharing a new website and survey for the Rural Health Transformation Program included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). MDHHS is seeking survey responses from all rural providers, Medicaid beneficiaries, community partners, and rural community residents. The survey will close on Monday, September 22, at 5:00 PM.

Rural Health Transformation Program Website

Participate in the survey here

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the following hirings and promotions:

• Lily Wenkel was hired as executive assistant to the deputy chief of staff.
• Tom Zimicki as environment and climate policy advisor.
• Rebecca Besaw was brought on as deputy legal counsel. Besaw previously served as senior advisor Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel.
• Michelle Richard was promoted from deputy director of higher education to senior literacy advisor to help oversee Michigan’s new literacy curriculum.
• Emma Young moved up to deputy director of policy after four years as the education policy advisor.
• Abrielle Matibag was promoted to public affairs specialist after previously serving as an issue specialist and executive assistant to the deputy chief of staff.
• Jada Weatherspoon, the previous House associate liaison, is now a legislative advisor.