March 21st-April 3rd, 2026

Former Democratic House Speaker Joe Tate (Detroit) has announced he will not be seeking reelection to his State House seat in the upcoming election. His upcoming departure adds to the increasing number of 21 total State Representatives that are leaving their current positions.

Tate served as House Speaker during the Democratic trifecta in 2023-2024, when Democrats controlled the State House, Senate, and Governor’s office.

To see the list of departing members Rep. Tate will be joining, see our March 6 newsletter: Nearly 20% of State Representatives Are Relinquishing Their House Seats

At the Michigan Republican Party’s convention in Novi, delegates endorsed Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd for attorney general and Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini for secretary of state. Lloyd defeated Birmingham attorney Kevin Kijewski by a wide margin, while Forlini secured over 55% of the vote against two opponents, avoiding a second ballot. The endorsement will allow the candidate to consolidate party support before being formally nominated after the August primary.

The Michigan Democratic Party will endorse their candidates at their convention on April 19th. The current candidates for those primary races are as follows.

Secretary of State

• Current Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II
• Ingham County Clerk, Barb Byrum
• Former Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli

Attorney General

• Oakland County Prosecutor, Karen McDonald
• Washtenaw County Prosecutor, Eli Savit

Recently, former Democratic State Representative Sara Cambensy announced she will be seeking election in Senate district 38, which covers most of the Upper Peninsula, as an independent.

In her announcement, Cambensy cited increasing polarization leading to political fighting and the need for the U.P. to have an independent voice as reasons for running as an independent. Cambensy was most recently employed as a legislative policy analyst for the Republican controlled House.

In the last State Senate election in 2022, the now term-limited incumbent Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) won with 62.2% of the vote.

Recently, Governor Whitmer’s office released the results of a survey conducted over the last year in which nearly 4,000 Michiganders were polled on the effects of tariffs and rising costs. She also released a statement in which she highlighted the executive directive she signed that aims at assessing the effect of federal tariffs and stressed her commitment to keeping costs down and making Michigan more affordable.

The survey found that 70% of Michigan residents believe the economy is heading in a worse direction compared to the same time last year. Additionally, 52% of Michiganders report being significantly affected by rising costs in their ability to plan for the future.

Respondents reported rising costs in the following areas:

• 86% saw increases in grocery costs
• 85% saw increases in utility costs
• 70% saw increases in health care costs
• 40% saw increases in gas prices
• 32% saw increases in housing costs