In November, voters will choose a new governor.

On the Republican side, the race is shaping up around Congressman John James and businessman Perry Johnson, who’s spending heavily out of his own pocket. 

Last week, one of their competitors became the first to drop out: former House Speaker Tom Leonard. He was running what most observers considered the most substantive policy campaign in the field.

As Speaker of the House, he ended Michigan’s driver responsibility fees, he worked with former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on auto insurance reform, and he pushed to expand Michigan’s open records law to the governor’s office.

He says he left the governor’s race because it had gotten too negative — that he wasn’t willing to compromise who he was to win. It’s a striking claim. It’s also one worth examining. Leonard spoke about all that and more with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

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In this episode

• How are ballot orders determined for the November general election?
• Who is running for Secretary of State and Attorney General for the Michigan Republican Party?

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Michigan Republican Party is holding its endorsement convention this weekend to determine which candidates it will back for key statewide positions. As part of WDET’s weekly series MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben break down the races, the roles at stake, and which candidates are best positioned to win.

Among the contests, attorney general and secretary of state are drawing the most attention. Republicans are aiming to regain control of both offices after longtime holds were broken by Dana Nessel and Jocelyn Benson. Gorchow said the positions carry significant weight: “The secretary of state runs the state’s election machinery, and the attorney general is both the corporation counsel for the state of Michigan. And the attorney general can also sue entities like the federal government and businesses on behalf of the people of the state of Michigan.”

Later in the show, Michigan Republican Party Chair Sen. Jim Runestad discusses the outlook for his party, saying the races for attorney general and secretary of state are expected to be contentious and difficult to predict. He also explained why the party uses a convention instead of a primary, arguing the process is more thorough and less driven by money. “So often, and it’s just a reality, money wins. It wins primaries and wins general elections very often. They go through way more vetting than the primary.”

The convention will be held March 28. 

• More from WDET:

  MI voters to decide if it’s time for a constitutional convention

  New Michigan GOP Chair hopes to unify party

  Women Could Dominate Michigan Democratic Ticket in November

Across Michigan, city leaders and police chiefs are asking  the same question: how should they work with federal immigration officers?

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been active across southeast Michigan, including in Livonia, Ypsilanti, Detroit, and other cities. ICE detention centers have been proposed in Highland Park and Romulus. We already know some of the outcomes.

In Michigan, from January to October of last year, ICE arrested over 2,300 people and detained almost the same amount, according to the Deportation Data Project. That number has nearly tripled since last year. 

Some city council members in Michigan have called for limitations on ICE and have supported state bills aimed at that exactly. But many Michigan mayors have remained silent on the issue. 

That’s not the case for Michael Taylor. He’s the mayor of Sterling Heights, where nearly 28% of residents are immigrants. He’s recently made headlines for wanting his city’s police department to separate itself from federal agents. 

He spoke with Robyn Vincent about what kinds of ICE policies he thinks Michigan cities should have.

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In the Republican-controlled House, lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill banning cell phones in charter and public schools with strong bipartisan support. Now it’s headed to the Michigan Senate, where Democrats hold the majority.

Many school districts in the state already have phone bans and restrictions. But this recent vote in the state House was significant. A similar bill didn’t pass the same chamber last summer. Inaction was a theme last legislative session as lawmakers in Lansing passed the fewest number of bills on record.

What changed? And, what other bills might the legislature be able to pass along bipartisan lines this session?

Mark Tisdel is a Republican representing Rochester Hills and the sponsor of the cell phone ban bill. He spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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