Updates About People

U.S. Representative Dan Kildee (D-Flint) will not be seeking reelection, citing that he is going to focus on his health after being diagnosed with cancer this year. Although Kildee is cancer-free now after surgery, he plans to stay engaged in public service through other means.

Currenlty, two republicans have announced their candidacy. Martin Blank, trauma surgeon and police officer in Saginaw, announced in October that he would be running for the 8th district. Last Friday, Paul Junge, a former Trump administration adviser and Lansing TV anchor who ran against Kildee in 2022, announced his candidacy. There are no democrats who have officially announced yet.

Former U.S. Representative and Iraqi veteran, Peter Meijer, announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate Race on November 7. Meijer’s pursuit towards a Senate seat follows his 2022 loss to Republican primary opponent, John Gibbs. This loss has been attributed to Meijer’s forthright impeachment vote against former President Trump following the U.S. Capitol riot in 2021.

Meijer will be the tenth Republican to run for Debbie Stabenow’s previous Senate seat, running alongside notable candidates like James Craig and Mike Rogers.

Governor Whitmer appointed Jen Flood as the new Budget Director in the State Budget Office. Flood comes from a background in the Governor’s office as the director of legislative and public affairs. She has worked alongside the governor since she was the Senate Democratic Leader.

Chris Harkins, who has served at the state’s budget director since September 2021, will vacate his role with the state mid-November for a new career at Michigan State University.

Governor Whitmer also announced promotions within the executive office. Maria Martinez was promoted from chief compliance officer to Jen Flood’s previous position of deputy chief of staff. Below lists the new hires in the policy, legal, and communication division.

• Zoe Ahlstrom, Deputy Policy Director

• Marissa Kreutzfeld, Deputy Legal Counsel

• Amy Lishinski, Deputy Legal Counsel

• Hailey Cherepon, Associate Legal Counsel

• Sarah Alkiek, Communications Liaison

• Taylor Gribble, Communications Assistant

• Zoe Kukla, Digital Community Organizer