Michigan Democrats are looking to West Michigan for gains this election. The party is hoping to flip a second state Senate seat in historically red Kent County.

The seat currently belongs to state Sen. Mark Huizenga (R-Walker), who is seeking re-election. He’s campaigning against state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker), who flipped Huizenga’s former House district blue during a special election in 2022.

Campaigning on Glanville’s behalf during an event in Grand Rapids Thursday, State Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) said prioritizing food assistance programs, tax credits, and road repairs has helped the home county of Grands Rapids trend blue in recent years.

“To go from one, two representatives from the Democratic Party to now having five state representatives, a Senate majority leader to boot and now potentially another seat here in Kent County, but metro Grand Rapids, that is a real change that people can see, that people can feel,” Fitzgerald said.

Republicans currently hold four out of the five state Senate seats that include a part of Kent County.

A Democratic pickup would extend the party’s Senate majority to three seats, if it successfully defends all other battleground districts. Its party members are feeling optimistic about those chances.

Republicans face significant political headwinds this election with President Donald Trump’s popularity at an all-time low. Plus, historical trends show voters typically swinging heavily against a president’s party during the midterm elections.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Democrats might be on the brink of winning back a trifecta in which they control the state House, Senate, and governor's office, but she still hopes the state Legislature passes some housing and economic development bills before ending the term. As it stands, Democrats control the state Senate and Republicans control the Michigan House of Representatives.

Whitmer said she believes the House’s current Republican leadership will have some incentive to work with Democrats, even if the chamber flips.

“I think the House might say, ‘Well, we’ve figured out how to work with this governor. Maybe there are a few more things we’d like to get done and maybe the Senate is interested in negotiating on,” Whitmer said at Monday’s event. “You never know how people are going to feel after an election.”

Some of the biggest battlegrounds in the fight for the state Legislature include seats in the suburbs surrounding Grand Rapids and Detroit. Those metro-hubs also happen to be some of the seven Michigan cities where the U.S. Department of Justice is sending election monitors.

At a campaign event for Republican candidates in Port Huron over the weekend, Trump repeated lies about the 2020 election being stolen, despite mountains of evidence otherwise.

Whitmer said the rhetoric has officials on alert.

“States run elections and anyone who comes in to try to interfere with them is going to bump up against that truth, which is the states run elections and intimidation, no matter where it comes from, is not acceptable and we will not abide by that,” Whitmer said.

The Department of Justice routinely sends monitors to various cities to ensure ballot access. That includes to four cities during Michigan's August primary.

In November's midterm election, Michigan voters will choose a new attorney general. The state’s current attorney general, Dana Nessel, is term-limited.

Here at Michigan Public, we’re bringing you interviews with the candidates.

Jeff Polonowski is the Green Party of Michigan nominee. He currently serves on the Otsego Township Planning Commission and he’s a retired pharmaceutical chemist.

He spoke with Morning Edition producer Caoilinn Goss.

Caoilinn Goss: What made you decide to run for state attorney general?

Jeff Polonowski: Well, my son asked me to place my name on the ballot. He currently is running in the 39th House district for the state. And he is currently a member of the Green Party. And when they had their convention, they were seeking people to add their names to the ballot. And the one that was open was attorney general. So he called me and asked if I would be willing to put my name on the ballot, and I agreed.

CG: Are you an attorney and a member of the state bar?

JP: Yeah, that would be a big no.

CG: It is perfectly legal under state law for a non-attorney to run for the office of attorney general. But state law sets the expectation that the attorney general would represent the state in court. So if elected, you would not necessarily be able to complete many of the functions of the job.

JP: You mentioned that I would not be able to do many of the functions. I think most of the functions you could do as attorney general. But if it's in the court, obviously not being an attorney you could not do those types of functions. But I think pretty much everything else you could.

CG: Can you explain how your experiences on the Otsego Township Planning Commission and elsewhere have prepared you for a statewide office managing a team of attorneys?

JP: Well, managing a team of attorneys... that would be a hard one to explain. However, I've been on the planning commission since 1988, and from time to time, we do end up involved in lawsuits over zoning issues and that. And primarily having to deal more lately with the state government wanting to take over more of the choices and the decision-making that typically would be done at the local township or city level.

CG: What would your top priorities be if elected?

JP: Top priorities is going to be, obviously, you have to be keep everything open, in view. I think part of the issue is that when most people think about attorney generals, they think, well, it's the attorney for the state. And there are a lot of things that have to be addressed from different departments in the state that have to go to court. And I think that that's part of the job.

But I think right from day one, you are not representing an individual department or an individual person or an individual company or anything like that. You are really, at the end of the day, you need to be representing all people in Michigan. You're the attorney for all people in Michigan. So if there's something that a state department wants to do, you know, and it's contrary to what you think is good for the people of Michigan, then you probably ought not to be taking that case up.

CG: The attorney general's office is not the only way to make changes. Of all the statewide offices you could have chosen to run for, why did you choose the one that primarily involves the practice of litigation?

JP: Well, the short answer is I was asked to lend my name to the to the ballot.

CG: I have one last question for you. What was the Green Party's strategy, do you think, in picking you for this particular role?

JP: Well, I would classify myself as a newbie when it comes to the Green Party. Now I remember back in the late '60s and '70s, I remember the Green Party. And, you know, it started as a, well, really as a green movement. Now they've progressed a lot further than that. You know, moving up to today. I did read over their stance on most everything. And, and I would agree with almost everything in their platform.

CG: Do you have concerns that a voter might see that you're a third party candidate and be interested in a third party candidate and not necessarily know whether or not the qualification of attorney would limit your ability to function in the role?

JP: Well, one, it would not. But two, I think the voter would have to make up their own mind as to whether, one, I would be a suitable candidate. And two, whether I would have to be an attorney to do that. As we explained earlier, you know, you don't have to be an attorney to run for that position.

So, can Jeff Polonowski take office?

Polonowski is right. He can legally run for state attorney general. However, after our conversation, I reached out to some experts to clarify whether or not he was qualified to take office.

In an email, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said, "I am not aware of language in the Michigan Constitution or Michigan election law that mandates the attorney general be a licensed attorney."

While Polonowski can legally run for the office of state attorney general, and his name does appear on the ballot, according to University of Detroit Mercy Law professor Aman McLeod, there is a precedent set by the Michigan Supreme Court in 1937 that would likely prevent him from serving if elected.

"There is a case called Attorney General ex Rel Cook versus O'Neill, in which the Michigan Supreme Court had the opportunity to opine on this exact issue. It did say in that case that the very name of the office implies the qualification of being an attorney at law," McLeod said. "So it would seem, you know, under this theory, a court would likely say that only an attorney could be the attorney general."

I asked McLeod what would happen if Dye or another non-attorney were to win the election.

"I suspect that what would happen is that there would be a quo warranto suit, which is a suit to challenge the qualifications of somebody to hold office. And then the courts would have to rule on whether or not this person was qualified to hold office," McLeod said.

"If they were not, if they had already been sworn in, then the office would be vacated," he said. "If they had not been, then perhaps the person who got the second most votes would take the office, or the office would be declared vacated, and then the the governor would appoint somebody."

Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can play the full audio of this interview near the top of this page.

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wraps up two terms in office, Michigan voters will elect a new governor this fall. As part of our election coverage, Michigan Public is bringing you interviews with the candidates for Michigan’s top office.

Doug Campbell is running as the Green Party’s candidate for Michigan governor. Campbell is a retired engineer and works as a substitute teacher. He’s run for Congress in four prior elections, and this is his third run for Governor. Campbell sat down with Stateside host April Baer to discuss his plans for the state if elected.

April Baer: Will you tell us a little bit more about what brought you back to the ballot this year? 

Doug Campbell: Much like being in the Army Reserves, I was drafted by my party. Last term, I had announced my retirement from politics, and there was a popular consensus that that was premature, and that I should run one more time.

AB: Is there anything that you would like people to know about what the Green Party represents in this consensus model? 

DC: There are two things that distinguish us from the other parties in the United States. First of all, the Green Party has parties in 76 countries throughout the globe and 11 affiliate organizations in countries that have not yet established themselves as a political party on the ballot.

The other thing is that Green Party candidates reject soft money, dark money, corporate contributions, 527(C) money, and earmarked money. We have unilaterally implemented the campaign finance reform that almost everybody says they want to see happening. But the paradox is that while we have implemented it, and almost everybody says that that's what they want in public offices, almost everybody reverts to the evil of two lessers when they're actually in the ballot booth.

AB: Let's talk a little bit about your platform. What is one thing that you would like to do if elected governor that would relieve the financial pressures on Michiganders from the costs that are rising, both nationally and internationally? 

DC: Okay. A lot of people are going to say they have a new proposal, but I have an old one. Let me read it to you.

“We stand for a living wage. Wages are subnormal if they fail to provide a living for those who devote their time and energy to industrial occupations. The monetary equivalent of a living wage varies according to local conditions, but it must include enough to secure the elements of a normal standard of living – a standard high enough to make morality possible, to provide for education and recreation, to care for immature members of family, to maintain the family during periods of sickness, and to permit a reasonable saving for old age.”

Now, I didn't write that. President Roosevelt wrote that and delivered it in 1912 in his campaign speech in Chicago. And I encourage everybody else to read the entire speech. It's online in any number of historical websites. We need to finish the job that he started. We need to implement a living wage. We need to not only raise the minimum wage, but we need to index it for inflation. The federal minimum wage, which admittedly the governor has very little authority over, hasn't been adjusted since 2009. It's still at $7.25 an hour. In 2009, you could buy lunch with an hour's wage. Today, you can't even buy a sandwich.

I think this is deliberate. That inflation is the insidious theft from the working class. So I recommend that we index it and make the federal minimum wage one ten-thousandth of the total compensation of the highest paid member of Congress.

AB: This is a tenet that you've run on many times before, and talked about through several of the campaigns that you've run. At this moment, the highest paid member of Congress is the House speaker, who's currently paid $223,500. So if we were to follow your logic, one ten-thousandth of that would be $22.35 an hour.

DC: Yes!

AB: That may get a lot of people's attention. It would raise the minimum wage significantly – higher than any other state. How do you propose Michigan's employers would bear that cost?

DC: I imagine Michigan's employers would whine and kvetch about it a lot. But at the end of the day, every time the minimum wage has been raised, either federally or locally, prosperity has gone up. Employment has gone up because employment is based on demand. And if people don't have any income, they don't have any demand. And that is a drag on the overall economy.

AB: Many of the businesses that employ minimum wage workers historically, our service industry businesses, our grocery stores, and others, tend to be very low margin. And anyone who has spent some time in these businesses lately can tell you that their staffing is already pretty stretched at this point. You say you think that there's more juice to be squeezed? 

DC: Absolutely. We're now in a situation where the 5% highest net wealth individuals own more than half of everything in the country. We need to stop issuing tax cuts for the rich. The period from roughly 1942 to 1982 was America's most productive and most prosperous era. We need to go back to some of the principles that were implemented during that time which caused that prosperity, including high marginal tax rates on high-income earners. At the time, it was millionaires. Of course, millionaire doesn't mean what it used to. Millionaire today just means you might be able to retire without resorting to eating dog food.

But we now have the world's first trillionaire, and we need to remedy the wealth and income inequity in our society. And the most direct approach is through taxation and redistribution.

AB: It strikes me that the top-tier earners may not be associated with those businesses that do employ workers at minimum wage. Would you tell us a little bit about the tax structure that you envision?

DC: Pretty much the very same tax structure that we had during the Eisenhower administration. Ultrawealthy individuals were taxed at, if I recall correctly, 86% after deductions. Corporations were taxed on profits, not on revenue. We've swallowed the propaganda that somehow not taxing people who are taking a significant amount of America's wealth is somehow going to lead to prosperity for all the rest of us, and it's just not the case.

The other thing we need to do is acknowledge that jobs are going away. Automation is a fact of life, and we need to adapt our society to that fact. There's an excellent documentary and kind of a look into the future [called] “Humans Need Not Apply.” Starting with how horses are no longer employed, except in the most niche markets, and likewise, in the near future, humans are not going to be employed. So we need to restructure our society so that the productivity reaches everybody. We need to start with raising the bottom. That's the minimum wage. And when minimum wage jobs go away, it needs to be replaced with a universal basic income.

AB: Michiganders have been pushing back on the development of data centers in their communities. How do you see the governor of Michigan addressing this backlash? Tell us about what you would do if elected. 

DC: We need to impose a moratorium on any new data center that's larger than one acre and one megawatt. The next thing we need to do is ask, “What is the purpose of this data center?” One hundred years ago, when we granted corporate charters, we asked, “What will this corporation do? How will the public benefit from this entity being incorporated?” We need to start with that.

We also need to prepare ourselves for the bursting of the large language model bubble. In the 90s, we saw the “dot-com” bubble burst, and about 10% of what was hyped became reality. The fundamental difference there is that the dot-com bubble didn't require a lot of investment in infrastructure.

For-profit utilities are more than happy to expand their transmission and distribution to your facility if you're going to pay for the electricity that you consume. In the past, they've typically amortized this construction over a 50-year period. In the case of a data center, they need to amortize it over a five-year period in anticipation of the bubble bursting. Otherwise, we're going to be left with a tremendous amount of physical infrastructure going unused, and you and I are going to be paying for it through our utility rates.

AB: What do you see as the greatest threat to democracy right now?

DC: Ignorance and empathy. A lot of people don't understand, and a lot of people don't care. It's somewhat unusual for elections to have more than a 50% turnout. People have quit participating. They have swallowed the propaganda that this is the best that we can expect.

I’m not going to criticize most of the people who have quit voting as lazy. I recognize that these folks are disillusioned. We need to liberate ourselves from the idea that there are two parties. There are six candidates for governor. I think there are seven parties on the Michigan ballot in total. We just need to let go of the old ideas. We need to let go of the idea that you are a Democrat or you are a Republican by birthright, and that is a choice that you can make. And I'm here to offer people a real alternative.

I'm not bought and paid for by corporations. There are one or two other candidates in the race who are claiming the same thing, and I wish them the best, and I hope that they will be able to actually follow through on being elected with one of the major parties. They will encounter incredible pressure to either assimilate or or give up.

____________

Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been lightly edited for length and clarity. You can play the full audio of this interview near the top of this page.

Today on Stateside, we chat with Jocelyn Benson, Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan.

Stateside producers have made multiple attempts to reach out to John James, the Republican candidate for Michigan's Governor, but have not heard back from his campaign. The offer remains open and we are happy to schedule an interview with him later this week if he accepts.

Plus, we talk with Anna Ansari, author of Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing and with Molly Mitchell, the founder of Rose's in Detroit — a diner recently lauded by the New York Times as one of 50 favorite restaurants in America. We'll hear what these two chefs are planning to cook up this week for a collaborative dining experience.

Finally, we bring our latest episode of On Hand exploring why Michigan's vote can be hard to predict. We hear from David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University, on what we to keep in mind about Michigan's swing identity in national politics.

GUESTS ON TODAY'S SHOW:

• Jocelyn Benson, Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan
• Anna Ansari, author of Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing
• Molly Mitchell, founder of Rose's in Detroit
• David Dulio, political science professor at Oakland University in Oakland County
  

An influx of cash to Republican John James’ gubernatorial campaign is drawing accusations of campaign finance violations.

It’s $1.8 million in advertising buys that popped up in the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, that are drawing the scrutiny.

Under Michigan law, state political parties can only give up to $750,000 per election cycle, and individual donors can only give $8,325.

However, political action committees connected to the wealthy DeVos family and Elon Musk are seemingly coordinating with the James campaign to secure ad buys with TV stations at the discounted candidate rate, Democrats said.

The Michigan Democratic Party quickly cried foul, alleging it’s a clear violation of state law and calling it an “unlawful coordinated in-kind contribution from the MRP (Michigan Republican Party) to John James for MI.”

In a written statement, James campaign spokesperson Alyvia Bailey said it’s a matter of federal law, as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer.

“The United States Supreme Court made clear in the NRSC decision that political parties have the constitutional right to spend unlimited funds in coordination with their candidates,” Bailey wrote.

Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, Curtis Hertel, said the ruling is not that clear.

“Anyone who's running for governor in the state should follow state law, and they are obviously not doing that,” Hertel said.

The MDP also sent a letter to television stations telling them they have an obligation to follow state law.

Given how slowly campaign finance violations are investigated, Hertel isn’t expecting action before the election.

“If this becomes normal practice that people can break laws in the final two weeks of a campaign, then you're going to see everyone try to do that,” he said. “I also think that the long-term problems with this being normal would be that billionaires could buy unlimited ads at a cheaper rate than everybody else, and I think that that is absolutely wrong.”

Bailey, with the James campaign, said the complaints are a sign of “desperation.”

“Support across Michigan for John James is surging at the right time and we look forward to victory come November 3.”

Candidates are hustling across Michigan to get votes in the final week before the November midterm election.

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are making their final pitches to voters as Michigan’s U.S. Senate race moves into its final week.

Speaking Monday in Midland, Rogers talked about what he believes is at stake.

 “It is no longer is Blue vs. Red. This really is about the heart and soul of the United States of America and who we want to be,” Rogers said.

Meanwhile, El-Sayed is in Alpena on Monday, campaigning alongside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Michiganders are not only electing a new U.S. Senator to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, but also a host of other elected positions, school millages, bond issues and ballot questions.

According to the Michigan Secretary of State, more than 1.2 million Michiganders have already voted in the general election.138,000 cast early in-person ballots over the weekend. 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Michigan’s top political office is up for grabs in the 2026 midterm election. Current Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited and five candidates are on the ballot to replace her.

The person who wins this race has an opportunity to direct the state’s response to many issues Michiganders face today. They’ll work with (or against) the state Legislature to pass laws or budgets, hire state agency leaders to carry out their goals, and play a key role in the state’s relationship with federal leaders.

Michigan Public requested interviews with each candidate. Only one, Republican John James, did not accept. Here’s what each had to say about how they would address issues Michiganders face.

Like the rest of the country (and many parts of the world), Michiganders are feeling the squeeze as prices rise and wages fail to keep up.

The rising prices partly stem from national and international issues that may be out of the governor’s control. But there are still things a governor can do to ease the difficulties people face in making ends meet.

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Data centers have quickly become a big deal in Michigan. People, companies and officials across the state have been embroiled in bitter debates over where they get built.

The next governor will likely have the opportunity to dramatically change Michigan's approach — or continue the current path.

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Across a number of polls, Michiganders say that threats to democracy are among the issues top of mind when they vote. As Michigan’s chief executive, the next governor will have an opportunity to decide which threats to highlight — and how they’ll work with other elected officials to address those threats, real or imagined.

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This is your one-stop shop for all the information you need before voting in the Michigan primary election on November 3, 2026.

Check this page again closer to Election Day for more candidate interviews and comparisons as they publish.

Voting in Michigan

Am I registered to vote?

Check if you’re registered to vote by clicking this link and submitting your information. At the top, you can see whether you’re registered to vote.

If you’re not registered to vote, you must register in-person by visiting your local clerk’s office or a satellite location with proof of residency documentation.

You can register to vote and vote on the same day.

For more information on eligibility requirements, how to register to vote, or updating your registration, visit this website.

Where is my polling place?

The same website where you checked your voter registration status also tells you where your polling location is and lists early voting locations and times.

Can I still get an absentee ballot?

At the time of publication, with Election Day a little more than a week away, you can still register to get an absentee ballot. However, for all methods of voting, it's recommended that you sign up at least 15 days before the election in order to allow ample time for the ballot to reach you and for it to be returned.

If you choose to register for an absentee ballot online, you have until 5 p.m. the Friday before Election Day to submit your request.

If you choose to register for an absentee ballot by mail, your request must reach your local clerk by 5 p.m. the Friday before Election Day.

If you choose to register for an absentee ballot in-person, you have until 4 p.m. the day before the election to submit your request to your clerk’s office. If you are not registered to vote or need to update your registration, you have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to visit your clerk’s office, register (or update your registration), request an absentee ballot, and submit it on-site.

Michigan candidates and their stances

Which races are Michigan Public watching?

We will post results on the gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, Michigan Supreme Court, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the 7th and 10th Congressional District races.

We are also watching the outcomes for Proposals 1 & 2.

Has Michigan Public interviewed candidates?

Yes. Below are the interviews.

I’d like a direct comparison of candidates and stances. Do you have that?

Also yes.

How can I learn more about major party candidates for the U-M, MSU and Wayne State university boards?

We've got you covered.

Where can I find more election information and results on your website?

On the homepage or at michiganpublic.org/election.

Michigan gas prices are once again edging toward record territory a week before Election Day.

AAA Michigan says the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the state hit $4.83 a gallon last week. That's a 32 cent increase in the past week.

• Most expensive gas price averages: Metro Detroit ($4.89), Ann Arbor ($4.81), Flint ($4.81)
• Least expensive gas price averages: Marquette ($4.65), Benton Harbor ($4.75), Jackson ($4.77)

"With crude oil back above $100 a barrel, elevated oil prices are adding significant upward pressure to what motorists are paying for gasoline,” said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson for AAA Michigan, in a statement.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased to 8.98 million barrels per day from 8.40 million barrels. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased to 205.3 million from 208.3 million barrels. Gasoline production increased to 9.75 million barrels per day from from 9.23 million barrels.

Michigan’s all-time record high price for a gallon of gasoline was $5.22 in June 2022.

In November's midterm election, Michigan voters will choose a new attorney general. The state’s current attorney general, Dana Nessel, is term-limited.

Here at Michigan Public, we’re bringing you interviews with the candidates.

Jason Dye is the Libertarian Party of Michigan nominee. He’s the founder of We The People News, an online platform.

He spoke with Morning Edition producer Caoilinn Goss.

Caoilinn Goss: What made you decide to run for state attorney general?

Jason Dye: Well, I've memorized a good part of the Bill of Rights and Constitution, and Anthony refused, you know, PAC (Political Action Committee) money and pretty much, you know, got kicked out of the Republican Party, if you say that way.

CG: To be clear, can you tell us who Anthony is?

JD: Anthony Hudson's running for governor. He was on the Republican side, and now he is on the Libertarian side. And he said, with all your knowledge, you need to run for something. And I looked and the attorney general spot was open. I asked the question, you got to be an attorney to be the attorney general? And the answer was no. And here we go.

CG: Under state law, neither the state constitution nor state statutes explicitly state that someone must be a member of the Michigan bar to serve as attorney general. However, there is a case from 1937 where the Supreme Court of Michigan held that the bar membership requirement should be implied by the name and the nature of the office. With that in mind, what was the party's strategy in nominating you as you understand it?

JD: We went to convention and the people just nominated me. But as to what you're saying according to the bar and their little statutes and their rules, this is what I read: It's called the supreme law of the land, the Supremacy Clause. "This Constitution and the laws of the United States, which shall be made in pursuance thereof. So all laws got to be made in pursuance of the United States Constitution.

"And all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land, and judges in every state shall be bound thereby." So what binds the judges? The Bar Association? No. I want to get rid of the Bar Association, too. I also want to get rid of qualified immunity. They're both weaponized, and they're both used against the people.

CG: So let's say you do win and you do take office. How have your experiences in the past, whether it's running We the People News or elsewhere, prepared you for this statewide office managing a large team of attorneys?

JD: Oh, I'm very good at quarterbacking and putting the right people in the right places. And if you look at my platform, I am 1,000% against data centers, Flock cameras, big corporations, so on and so forth. And I have advocated in the courts way before I did We the People News and social media. I didn't plan on running, to be honest with you, for anything. We the People News was going to be unbiased and check everybody's record pretty much. Kind of like the Gander does, but zero unbiased.

And my assistant attorney general, his name is Michael Komorn out of Southfield. He is an absolute beast. That's who would be representing the state in court. But you can't take my right and convert it into a privilege and try to regulate it with license and or fees, hence the right to work, you know. So there's going to be big arguments coming. I'm also good friends with Thomas Howell, who's running for Supreme Court justice, where the state does say you have to be a bar attorney and he's not a bar attorney. Every time you screw over we the people or you rip us off, you take somebody's inheritance, you don't do nothing but make soldiers for the cause.

CG: Would you plan to continue running your website if elected?

JD: I don't know. I never actually thought about that. You're the first person to ask me that. And I don't necessarily kind of run the website, as you would say. I just kind of put my content on there. And there's a couple other people that put content on there. So I don't know, maybe I'd let the website go, I don't know, I like it, I think it's a good tool.

The big media corporations, you're not going to tell me they don't handpick their stories. You've watched, you know, where they've had like, what is it, 40, 50 different anchors all in unison. You know what I mean? On your TV saying the same thing, showing you how things are scripted. That was the part of WTPN. We never wanted to be scripted, and we wanted to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You know?

CG: What would your top priorities be if elected?

JD: Top priorities if elected? Well, Restore the republic is one of my things. And everybody thinks that means, you know, completely destroy the [government]. No, you don't completely destroy the government. You restore it. So you get rid of all the corruption. You hold them accountable. Nobody holds them accountable.

As an attorney general, you're supposed to go on behalf of we the people. So data centers that erode my water, farmland. Same thing with Flock cameras. It's an egregious violation of your Fourth and First Amendment constitutional rights. And I'm done with it. And all I've witnessed in these courts, if you have money and you have connections, you can get away with anything you want to get away with, pretty much. And if you don't, you ain't going to get away with something you shouldn't even be in there for in the first place.

CG: You're clearly very passionate about your ideals, and you have ideas of what to change. Why go the route of running for attorney general? Why not run for the state legislature?

JD: The attorney general can really go hard for we the people, you know. For instance, do you know how goofy qualified immunity actually is? Qualified immunity is only supposed to protect civil. Let's get real. It protects both. I've heard it. It's crazy. There's no Constitution training period, for we the people in the schools. And you wonder why we're in the shape that we're in if we just simply go back to this, which is all the rights for we the people and checks and balances for the government, this nation should fix itself overnight.

So, can Jason Dye take office?

After speaking with Jason Dye, I reached out to some experts to clarify whether or not Dye was qualified to take office.

In an email, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office said, "I am not aware of language in the Michigan Constitution or Michigan election law that mandates the attorney general be a licensed attorney."

While Dye can legally run for the office of State Attorney General, and his name does appear on the ballot, according to University of Detroit Mercy Law professor Aman McLeod, there is a precedent set by the Michigan Supreme Court in 1937 that would likely prevent him from serving if elected.

"There is a case called Attorney General ex Rel Cook versus O'Neill, in which the Michigan Supreme Court had the opportunity to opine on this exact issue. It did say in that case that the very name of the office implies the qualification of being an attorney at law," McLeod said. "So it would seem, you know, under this theory, a court would likely say that only an attorney could be the attorney general."

I asked McLeod what would happen if Dye or another non-attorney were to win the election.

"I suspect that what would happen is that there would be a quo warranto suit, which is a suit to challenge the qualifications of somebody to hold office. And then the courts would have to rule on whether or not this person was qualified to hold office," McLeod said.

"If they were not, if they had already been sworn in, then the office would be vacated," he said. "If they had not been, then perhaps the person who got the second most votes would take the office, or the office would be declared vacated, and then the the governor would appoint somebody."

Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can play the full audio of this interview near the top of this page.

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wraps up two terms in office, Michigan voters will elect a new governor in just a few weeks. As part of our election coverage, Michigan Public is bringing you interviews with the candidates for Michigan’s top office.

Jocelyn Benson is a name known to many Michiganders. She has been the Secretary of State since 2019. And she is running as the Democratic candidate for Michigan governor. She sat down with Stateside host April Baer to discuss her plans for the state if elected.

April Baer: Will you tell us why running for governor seemed like the next step for you?

Jocelyn Benson: Well, you know, I'm a mom of a 10-year-old little boy, and it's not lost on me that everything we do over the next eight years will define my kid's future. And it will define the future of our loved ones all across the state. And in a moment where we need leaders who know how to run government well, who will get things done to drive down costs, to increase well-paying jobs, and to protect our rights, freedoms, democracy and safety everywhere we go.

That is the job I've done as Secretary of State, and it's a job I'm ready to do as governor. And I really do think we're on the precipice of a extraordinary moment, an extraordinary choice of which way we're going to go here in Michigan. I'm committed to making sure our schools are among the best in the nation, that we have well-paying jobs in this state, that our health care costs are going down, not up. And I'm, you know, running against someone who has raised health care costs while in Congress. So I'm very focused on making sure citizens know that choice, that I will fight for them, I will work for them, and I will work with anyone to get things done for them.

AB: What would you want voters to know about what you've accomplished as Secretary of State?

JB: You know, I'm really proud of Secretary of State. We've seen our elections go from being ranked 30th in the nation to number two nationwide in safety and security and accessibility. We've had back to back to back the highest turnout elections in our state's history. But also, I'm proud to have taken the Department of State, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and turned it around. We transformed what is oftentimes the poster child of government bureaucracy of everything that's wrong with government. And we've made it a representation of everything that government can do well. We save people time. We have kiosks in grocery stores. And as I look to what we need to do to drive down costs here in Michigan, a lot of it is just running government well, making sure health care is accessible and the like. So I'm proud we've been able to transform one of our largest agencies to make sure it's saving people time, saving people money, and making your life easier. And now I want all of government to work that well for all the people.

AB: You're a Democrat. If elected, you would be following a Democrat in office. Tell us about what would you keep doing as governor and what policies would you want to change?

JB: Well, one of the things that I will prioritize as governor is improving our public education systems. And we're coming off of three decades of back-to-back efforts of Republicans defunding our schools at a higher rate than any other state in the nation. That's a big reason why we see the numbers we're seeing today in reading scores and the like. So I want to continue reinvesting in our schools, which the Whitmer administration has done, providing free lunch and breakfast for kids as well. But we need to do more. We need to better pay our teachers, we need to support our schools. And I need to, and I want to redo our funding structure to ensure that we are meeting the unique needs of every district.

So improving education and also administering government in a way that works for folks. When I look at healthcare affordability, we need a governor who's going to make sure the Department of Health and Human Services is more efficient and more directly able to serve the people, to help us appeal unfair health insurance denials, to take on medical debt, and demand more transparency in medical billing. So that captures a lot of our plans for driving down costs and improving our state. And so it's a continuation. But also, I'm running to bring transformational change to our schools, to our economy, to our state.

AB: We do hear quite a bit from voters about rising costs in their lives. Is there anything else that you want to talk about that you would do as governor to try to relieve that pressure on Michiganders?

JB: Yeah. I mean, everywhere I go, we're on our a statewide tour right now, people are sharing heartbreaking stories, particularly about the cost of health care, which is skyrocketing for small business leaders and families alike. And it's not lost on me that my opponent voted three times to raise health care premiums while I have a plan to lower them. But that's not all. We have to improve housing affordability, and we have a plan to increase the supply of affordable housing while supporting first- and second-time homeowners and holding accountable bad actors who are driving up costs. Also, electricity. We need to invest in clean energy infrastructure so that we are enabling the reduction of energy costs in the state, and also making sure child care is more affordable for folks. Increasing well-paying jobs by diversifying our economy, improving small business growth is also how we can increase affordability here in Michigan.

And above all, making sure we are making Michigan the place that our young people choose to call home. Again, as a mom, this is personal to me. I will move with a sense of urgency to make sure our state provides opportunities for employment, for jobs, for growth, and that we're investing in transformational things like high speed rail and other things that will help make our communities safe places for everyone to thrive.

AB: How much power does state government have to work on prices when many of the forces driving inflation are federal and global in nature?

JB: Well, as governor, I will use every tool available to me in my toolbox to drive down costs. A lot of that is streamlining the administration of government, but it's also being able to work with our legislature to find ways to modernize how we're building, how we're opening child care centers, how we're enabling small businesses to grow. So the legislative process and the executive working together can do a lot to to lower costs.

And make no mistake, one of the reasons why we're seeing a lot of costs go up recently are these tariffs, tariffs with Canada that are hitting Michiganders harder than any other state. And as governor, we're going to negotiate subnational agreements between Michigan and Canada to actually find ways to minimize the negative impact that these tariffs are having and make better agreements with our neighbors to the north that will protect our costs and protect our jobs.

AB: How can the state support Michigan businesses that are dealing with increased expenses because of tariffs right now?

JB: Well, in addition to negotiating agreements that could perhaps provide carve outs to tariffs for our auto suppliers in particular, also looking for ways that we can enable business to have a helping hand from government instead of government being an obstacle course. It too often is difficult oftentimes to start and grow a business, to scale up funds, and ensure we're supporting those entrepreneurs and innovators who want to make Michigan a place where they can grow their business.

So a lot that we can do to streamline how government works will help small businesses grow, will help medium and existing businesses grow. And then also investing in talent workforce development, not just in better schools, but in apprenticeships and other opportunities that will help our businesses grow and find the talent they need to thrive. The great news about that is that it also creates well-paying jobs for our citizens, and everyone can see Michigan as a place where they can start and grow their business, start and grow their career, and above all, thrive.

AB: Can I ask what you mean by carve outs to the tariff agreements?

JB: Yeah. So there's plenty of examples of of subnational agreements where you're making an agreement between the state of Michigan and Canada that could, for example, and Maine has done this on rock salt for their roads. Say, when this particular product just goes between Michigan and Canada or vice versa, we want to exempt it from tariffs, particularly tariffs that Canada is placing on the U.S. that are driving up costs as well as some things in exchange. And then many governors can have the opportunity to work with the Department of Commerce to, once that agreement, is set to get approval, to protect those exemptions. And again, that's what a governor does: try to find every possible way to protect our state from bad decisions being made at the federal government level that are driving up costs for Michiganders.

AB: Data centers are a very contentious topic in communities across Michigan. How should the governor's office address backlash to data center development?

JB: Well, I believe that we see a lot of a lot of times where data centers are driving up, are making it hard for communities to thrive. And I've called for a moratorium until we have guardrails in place to actually ensure that data centers have to play by our rules if they're going to build here. That means protections for our water, protections for our energy costs, and above all, protecting local voices to ensure they have a say in community benefits agreements that will bring costs down in their own communities. Those types of guardrails and protections are critical to ensure that we are giving local citizens, the opportunity to have a say if a data center should even come to their community. And it's a sharp contrast to my opponent, who has voted four times against having any local say or supporting local citizens in having a say over whether data centers could come to their community.

As governor, I'll actually create a portal where people can see and evaluate data centers that are coming to their community, so that we can see collectively, and they can have their voice heard collectively, on any decisions being made that affect them.

AB: Could tell us about what you see as the greatest threat to democracy in Michigan right now, and how you would respond to that threat as governor?

JB: Well, as secretary of state, I've seen firsthand how far people will go to potentially not just overturn elections, but block people from even voting to begin with. And as secretary of state, that has meant working to prepare for any possibility that the federal government or anyone else, any other bad actors, could try to interfere with our elections or deny those results. And so the next governor has to be prepared, prepared as I am, to ensure citizens know their power, can exercise their vote, and can do so without any fear of intimidation or any other efforts to try to block their voice or their vote.

And make no mistake, the battle over the future of our democracy is still ongoing. It's one that we saw firsthand in 2020, when the president of the United States and my opponent spent millions of dollars trying to overturn fair and free elections, that we must continue to fight both as state leaders but also as citizens to stand up to. I say often how democracy is still on the ballot this year, and by electing state leaders, up and down the ticket, who will stand to protect the voice of the people and the votes of our citizens, that's how we can ensure best that our democracy continues to prevail, even against efforts at the federal level to try to undermine it.

PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump intensified his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, portraying him as a threat to national security and questioning his loyalty to the United States in remarks that drew a sharp rebuke from a former top Arab American ally.

Trump called El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official, a “jihadist” who was “on the side of the terrorists” and would “have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate.” He also repeatedly invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, drawing a comparison between stopping El-Sayed from entering the Senate chamber and the passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Flight 93.

El-Sayed, who would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected, has called attacks on his loyalty to the country “shameful” and repeatedly denied any ties to extremist groups. The Republican president's remarks were condemned by Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, the group that helped lead the president’s outreach to Arab American voters in 2024.

“The president’s statements are out of line," he said in a phone interview. "They are crossing a red line. They are racist.”

With Republicans on the defensive over inflation, soaring fuel prices and the Iran war, the president has been trying to generate turnout by claiming that El-Sayed and other Democrats are existential threats to America, instead of electoral rivals. Michigan’s Senate race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is among a handful of contests that could determine control of the chamber.

Trump made his remarks in Port Huron, a Canadian border city about an hour north of Detroit and near communities where he made significant gains among Arab American voters in 2024. He became the first Republican presidential candidate since 2000 to win Dearborn, a city with one of the nation’s largest concentrations of Arab Americans.

Trump, who imposed a travel ban targeting several predominantly Muslim countries during his first term, has increasingly leaned into anti-Muslim rhetoric as Election Day approaches. He also attacked Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota at Sunday’s rally, where he declared that he had come to Michigan “to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator.”

Cole Wozniak, a spokesperson for El-Sayed, responded to Trump's comments in a statement: “While they lie and resort to desperate, bad faith attacks, Abdul remains laser focused on his plans to bring down costs and stand up to the chaos and corruption in Washington."

El-Sayed’s faith, associations and past statements become campaign flashpoints

Central to Republicans’ strategy against El-Sayed in the final weeks of the campaign has been an effort to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement with branches that the U.S. government has designated as terrorist organizations.

There is no evidence that El-Sayed has any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. His half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, wrote on social media in 2012 that “my family has long been MB” and described a conversation with her mother about her involvement in the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1970s.

El-Sayed was born in the United States to Egyptian immigrant parents who divorced when he was young. He was raised by his father, not his biological mother.

Trump on Sunday also targeted El-Sayed’s ties to popular streamer Hasan Piker, who appeared alongside the Democrat multiple times during the primary campaign, including at his election night event.

Piker in the past has said that “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel, describing some Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and that “America deserved 9/11.”

El-Sayed has faced criticism for his own rhetoric. He has repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether Iran or Israel poses a bigger threat to the country. Earlier this year, he said “hurt people hurt people” after an attack on a synagogue in the Detroit area. The attacker had lost four relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon the week earlier. El-Sayed later apologized, saying he was not trying to justify what happened.

“To anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful, I’m really sorry,” he said. “That was not my intention.”

Founder of Arab Americans for Trump calls the president 'racist'

Bahbah, whose organization has since changed its name to Arab Americans for Peace, said Trump’s remarks were unacceptable to Arab and Muslim communities, including Christian Arabs.

“The remarks are out of line and crazy. I mean, no sane individual would say these things," Bahbah said.

Dearborn helped Trump win Michigan in 2024 after many voters in the city were outraged by the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

“The president of the United States saying that about a person because of his religion, that is just not acceptable,” said Bahbah. “And people are going to remember that on Nov. 3."

The campaign has been one of the most contentious this year

Rogers and El-Sayed have been locked in a bitter race to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

During their second and final general election campaign debate, Rogers questioned El-Sayed's loyalty to the United States.

“Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” Rogers asked.

El-Sayed said that questioning was “shameful.”

“I’m proud of our Constitution that guarantees all of us the right to pray as we choose to pray,” he said.

Speaking before Trump’s appearance Sunday, Rogers repeated his allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The Muslim Brotherhood celebrated exactly one victory in the United States in the primary this year,” Rogers said on stage. “Abdul El-Sayed's.”

Rally doesn't deliver a new economic handout, but gets boost from Minaj

Trump has routinely announced new investments in factories at his campaign rallies, but he did not do so as part of his speech in Michigan, a state defined by the auto industry.

The president instead repeated investments already being made by domestic automakers. Those automakers could see their finances slump if the president expands his trade war with Canada, which has been an essential partner for the U.S. automotive sector.

While it lacked a fresh promise for Michigan's economy, Trump's rally did deliver a bit of star power.

Rapper Nicki Minaj appeared on stage and urged people to get out and vote for the state's Republican ticket. Her appearance followed an awkward moment from Trump, who has increasingly been fixated on commenting about other people's body parts.

After praising the body of Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican in a close election contest, Trump turned his eye toward Minaj and commented on her posterior.

The president then signaled for Minaj to stand for the crowd and she did, after which Trump said, “I hope Nicki wasn’t insulted, but we love Nicki. She’s been with us for a long time.”

___

Cappelletti reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

A package of bills has been introduced in the Michigan House and Senate to help homeowners who become victims of deed fraud.

Deed fraud is when someone files a forged deed to claim ownership of someone else's property with a county Register of Deeds. They can then take out loans on the property or even try to sell it to a second victim.

Donovan McCarty is an associate professor of law and director of the Housing Justice Clinic at Michigan State University.

McCarty said in Michigan, it's easy to commit the fraud and hard to fix it. Registers of deeds don't have any authority to substantially review deeds that are submitted to them, he said.

"The problem is, once a false deed is recorded, the least amount of time I see it take to fix is about six months, and it can cost a lot of money to hire an attorney to do that — the average is $3,000-$5,000, and in more complicated cases, it can be $10,000 or more."

McCarty said in some cases, people have lost their homes to foreclosure, because the false deed triggered a lifting of the cap on their property taxes, and they couldn't afford to pay the higher tax while they were fighting to get the false deed expunged.

In another case, which he represented, the person who submitted a false deed then filed an eviction notice for the man who owned the house.

Because the man had communication issues — including no phone and computer at home — he missed court hearings, and the eviction went through.

"The bailiffs came and broke down both his doors and removed all his property," McCarty said.

The man lost all his personal belongings, and had to live in hotels while McCarty handled the court case to get him back in his home.

"The fraudsters typically prey on low income people, minority communities," McCarty said. "Detroit seems to be a place that is specifically hard-hit by deed fraud. And so as you can imagine, the people in those situations especially don't have the resources to fight these frauds."

The bills set up a fast-track process to get the false deed expunged, with a fill-in complaint form that property owners can file with the court themselves, without having to hire an attorney.

The bills also keep the victim's property taxes from being uncapped and skyrocketing while the process is taking place, and extends the statute of limitations from one year to three years to go after the perpetrator of the fraud, although McCarty says it's rare that they are identified and held responsible.

Former President Barack Obama rallied with Michigan Democrats Saturday night in Detroit. His speech at Cass Technical High School largely mirrored one he gave hours early in Ohio.

Obama blamed Trump’s war with Iran for spiking prices and the national debt, accused Trump and his family of using the presidency for personal enrichment, and encouraged Democrats to vote as a way of pushing back.

Some familiar zingers made both speeches, with a little tailoring for Michigan’s ticket.

“What they're doing, which is par for the course, is running all kinds of scary ads to make you think Democrats are radicals or communists or jihadists or the woke police that will come arrest you and force-feed you tofu instead of hamburgers. We are not going to fall for that,” Obama said.

The rally served as a chance for Democrats to unite the party and solidify its base on the first day of statewide in-person early voting.

Several Congress members and candidates for office shared THE stage, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12), state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D, Southfield), and 10th Congressional District candidate Christine Hines.

The race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat is both at the top of the ballot and top of mind this election. News crews from outlets in many different languages packed the gymnasium to hear Obama throw his whole support behind candidate Abdul El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson.

Obama and El-Sayed both highlighted some parallels in their life stories. Obama saw similarities in attacks he faced from opponents during his 2008 campaign.

“They may even use your name or your faith to somehow suggest you are dangerous and less than trustworthy and less patriotic and less American than they are. We have seen this movie before. I starred in it,” he said before joking about having to produce his long form birth certificate.

Both men helped build a progressive movement, are the child of an immigrant, and have been accused of being loyal to another country.

El-Sayed said “no one loves America” like someone who has seen its blessings.

“Don’t get it twisted. I love America. I’m so grateful I get to raise my two daughters here in America. I just love America enough to call on her to be America for all of her kids,” El-Sayed said.

Beyond a standard get out the vote rally, the Obama visit helped El-Sayed fight attack ads aimed at winning Black voters over to his Republican opponent, former Congressman Mike Rogers. Some of those commercials highlighted his past criticisms of Obama’s time in office.

Obama dismissed their past disagreements as something he even has with his wife, Michele Obama.

But Rogers campaign advisor Greg Manz said the move shows Democratic desperation.

“Michigan Democrats know their base is crumbling with Conman Abdul as the face of their party – nothing proves this more than having to parachute Obama into Detroit from his Martha’s Vineyard mansion,” Manz
said in a press release.

Many voters at the event said they cared most about the economy, education, and repairing cultural divides.

Wayne resident Johnny Fuller says this was his first political rally. He says he needed to show up to set an example for his kids as they get older. Fuller said he believes El-Sayed can deliver on his hopes for a fairer world.

“We biracial kids so therefore, it’s a little bit harder because one person sees you some way, someone else will see you some way. And it’s like El-Sayed. It’s a battle to be inclusive when you know you’re in a country that’s history isn’t full of inclusivity,” Fuller said.

Personal attacks are nothing new in politics, but Michigan’s U.S. Senate race has added a new wrinkle: accusing a candidate’s mother of supporting terrorism.

In a debate earlier this month in Grand Rapids, Republican Mike Rogers accused Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s birth mother of working for an organization that helped al-Qaida.

The allegations follow a pattern for Rogers. He’s accused El-Sayed and his family of being linked to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood, but has not provided evidence.

The Republican former congressman denies it has anything to do with the former Detroit and Wayne County health director being a Muslim.

“It’s not about the way he prays,” Rogers said. “It’s about the way he thinks.”

Do Rogers’ allegations withstand scrutiny? No.

No Ties to al-Qaida

El-Sayed’s parents divorced when he was 3 years old. The Democrat was largely raised in Rochester, Michigan, by his father and stepmother.

The accusation by Republican Mike Rogers is that Abdul El-Sayed’s birth mother, Fatten Elkomy, helped funnel money to a host of terrorist groups while working for a charity in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Elkomy worked as a nurse in a Kenyan orphanage for the humanitarian aid organization Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA-USA) based in Missouri.

It was an offshoot of the Islamic African Relief Agency based in Sudan. Leaders of the latter group – who were also board members of IARA-USA – were later convicted of violating sanctions by funneling money to Iraq through someone thought to be a terrorist.

When that happened, IARA-USA had its assets frozen and aid stopped.

Detroit-based attorney Shereef Akeel worked on behalf of IARA-USA and others like them. He said for the cases he handled, there weren’t direct ties to terrorism.

“I saw violations of tax filings, violations of where aid was distributed in violation of some sanction, like blankets or things of that nature,” Akeel said.

The impact of the frozen assets was devastating for the kids in Kenya. Many children wrote letters to the court explaining how their families could no longer afford schooling and had to go back to scavenging for food.

After several years, the organization ultimately pleaded guilty to violating sanctions on Iraq, transferred its remaining assets to another charity and dissolved.

“Eventually, through this whole process, the funds were unfrozen, and they ended up being … transferred to a humanitarian organization in Africa,” Akeel said.

However, by then IARA-USA had been disbanded.

Barbara McQuade is a University of Michigan Law professor and a former U.S. Attorney. She prosecuted cases similar to the one involving IARA.

She said financial crimes are often easiest to prove because of documentation.

“If you can instead put together a case that's clean on paper because of some financial transaction that is prohibited, whether it's a tax charge or financial support that violates sanctions – that certainly can dismantle a terrorist pipeline of money,” McQuade said.

It should be noted that El-Sayed’s birth mother does not appear in any indictment surrounding this case.

McQuade said it’s unlikely Elkomy, in her role as a nurse, would have known what was happening in a different organization in a different country.

“Just because you work for a particular charity – I don't know, hypothetically the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, some organization that's doing great work overseas – if you've got some corrupt members at the highest level, it certainly is not an indictment or guilt by association of everybody who works in the organization,” McQuade said.

One of IARA-USA’s biggest champions was Republican former Congressman Mark Siljander of southwest Michigan. He worked as a lobbyist for the charity in the mid-2000s, but later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and failing to register as a foreign agent.

Siljander spent one year and one day in prison.

The judge in his case said “this is not a case about somebody aiding a terrorist.”

In 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned Siljander.

No Ties to Muslim Brotherhood

There have also been efforts by Mike Rogers and conservative media to link Elkomy – and El-Sayed – to the Muslim Brotherhood while she was living in Egypt in the 1970s.

That mostly comes from three social media posts made by El-Sayed’s half-sister in 2012 and 2013.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in the 1920s, and helped the rise of former Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi following the pro-democracy Arab Spring movement in 2011.

The U.S. Department of Treasury designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization earlier this year.

El-Sayed has repeatedly stated his family has no ties to the group.

“To the best of my knowledge, nobody in my family's been a member of this organization. It's, like, an insane thing to assume,” El-Sayed said.

And yet questions persist.

At a recent El-Sayed campaign stop in Caro the Democrat was again asked to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood by an audience member named Tommy.

El-Sayed did, but the video went viral, because Tommy continuously stopped short of saying why he’s asking the candidate the question.

The whole exchange felt a bit manufactured.

It was.

Independent journalist Marisa Kabas of The Handbasket was the first to report that Tommy Teepell isn’t from Michigan, is the son of a well-known Republican operative, and was working for U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, earlier this year.

Why Link to Terrorism? Fear.

Midterm elections are generally good for the political party not in power.

Democrats have an edge in enthusiasm.

Republican former Congressman Mike Bishop of Michigan served on the Homeland Security subcommittee and said the GOP was looking for an answer to Democrats’ momentum.

“I think there is an enthusiasm gap, and that happens when you've got a president at his midterms,” Bishop said.

Bishop doesn’t think Rogers’ efforts are Islamophobic, but admits something needed to be done to fire up the Republican base.

“I think there is fear and anger out there, and there are folks out there that are stoking that furnace,” Bishop said.

With the high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel and President Donald Trump’s approval ratings at all-time lows, Democrats are feeling confident. But fear and anger could still propel Rogers to victory – or they might leave him short in the Senate race.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified a picture of Mike Bishop as Mike Rogers. It has been removed.

Early in-person voting for the 2026 midterm election is now fully underway across Michigan.

That means Michiganders can head to the polls starting this weekend if they're interested in casting their ballots in person before Election Day on Nov. 3. A state constitutional amendment voters overwhelmingly passed in 2022 means precincts across Michigan must make early voting available for at least nine days before Election Day, though some communities have started sooner.

Here's what you need to know about early voting.

What is early voting?

This is the third year Michigan has had early voting for all state and federal elections, after voters passed a 2022 ballot measure that enshrined several new voting rights into the state Constitution.

Those rights include at least nine days of early voting (as well as the ability to be placed on a permanent absentee voter list, prepaid ballot postage and a state-funded ballot tracking notification system, and more).

That means Michiganders now have three ways to vote:

1. Absentee voting, with ballots available up to 40 days before the election;
2. In-person early voting, available statewide Saturday, Oct. 24.
3. In-person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.

What’s the difference between early voting and absentee?

Both options allow you to cast a vote before Election Day. Early voting is closer to the experience of voting on Election Day. You’ll enter a polling location, check in, be given a ballot, complete that ballot on site, and can then personally put your ballot into the tabulator at your polling place.

Absentee voting gives you the option to vote from home, and absentee ballots are available up to 40 days before an election. You can request an absentee ballot online, in person, or through the mail. Then you can submit it to your local clerk’s office through the mail, at a secure drop box, or a polling site.

The Secretary of State’s office recommends “using the secure drop box or a polling place if you are returning a ballot within two weeks of election day, in order to avoid possible postal delays.”

You can also track your absentee ballot by entering your information here.

When does early voting start in Michigan? 

Statewide early voting will be available for at least nine days: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (That’s because the early voting period must take place for a minimum of nine consecutive days, ending on the Sunday before an election.)

But communities also have the option of providing additional days of early voting, up to 28 days total.

Where can I vote early? 

You can find your nearest early voting polling location by entering your address here. Your local clerk’s office will also have more information about where to vote early, as well as the hours for those locations.

Do I need an ID? 

You’ll be asked to show an ID when you check in to vote, but you can still vote even if you don’t have one. (A poll worker will ask you to sign a form that says you didn’t have an ID.)

According to the Secretary of State’s office, the following types of IDs can be used:

• Michigan driver's license or state ID (may be expired)
• Driver's license or state ID issued by another state
• Federal, state or local government-issued photo ID
• U.S. passport
• Military photo ID
• Photo ID from an educational institution
• Tribal photo ID

How do I know if I’m registered to vote? 

You can check your voter registration status here: Michigan.gov/Vote. You can register anytime up to 8 p.m. on Election Day, but the Secretary of State’s office recommends registering as soon as possible.

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Midterm elections are approaching in the state of Michigan. While some statewide races, like for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, have garnered national attention, others have comparatively slid under the radar.

In an unusual quirk of electoral politics, voters in Michigan are able to vote for the governing boards of major public universities in statewide elections. Members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, Michigan State University Board of Trustees, and the Wayne State University Board of Governors serve uncompensated for eight-year terms, and are elected two at a time in staggered, two-year cycles.

As part of a series of candidate profiles for the state’s three publicly elected university boards, Michigan Public sat down with the Democratic and Republican candidates for Wayne State’s Board of Governors to discuss their campaigns, platforms, and hopes for the future of the university.

The Democratic Party’s nominees for the board are Richard Mack and Shereef Akeel. Mack is a union-side labor attorney and a member of the Detroit NAACP’s Board of Directors. Akeel is a civil rights attorney at his own law firm, and a certified public accountant.

The Republican Party’s nominees for the board are Christa Murphy and Andy Anuzis. Murphy is a member of the board of directors of Vibe Credit Union, and said she's previously worked in strategy roles at Samsung, Meta, and General Motors. Anuzis’s background is in public education; he has spent the last five years as the principal of Lincoln-King High School in Detroit.

The candidates from each party are not running as a ticket in the traditional sense. Voters can select up to two candidates for governor, but may also vote for fewer, and are able to vote for two candidates from different political parties if they wish.

Affordability and upward mobility

Wayne State has frequently been ranked as the top university in the state for social mobility, and ensuring that its programs remain affordable is a top concern for all candidates.

The Democratic contenders said they were proud of Wayne State’s various financial aid programs, and would work to continuously improve them to better assist various underserved groups if elected.

“Wayne State has people who are working full time, who are mothers and fathers and people who are trying to get a leg up in life,” Mack said. “And we, as Wayne State, need to make sure that, yes, we're offering an amazing, amazing education. We also need to make sure that the students there are assisted with the academics and other resources that they may need.”

The Republican candidates also expressed support for the university’s tuition programs; Murphy said she even benefitted from financial aid during her time as a Wayne State undergraduate. The pair also wants to focus on fiscal accountability and looking for wasteful spending to cut.

“One of the things that I bring to the table in terms of previous board service is the tough decision making,” Murphy said. “Every institution has limited resources. We look at the resources. We look at the outcome that we're looking to drive.”

Academic success

Closely tied to the subject of financial aid is the academic success of Wayne State students. The university’s six-year graduation rate has rapidly improved over the last decade and a half, going from 26% in 2011 to around 60% today.

“What often happens now (is) students who just aren't able to finish because they are $1,500 short, or they didn't get their Pell Grant, or they didn't get the full amount of the grant that they thought they were going to get. All sorts of life issues come into play,” Mack said.

The Republican candidates do not disagree with this perspective. “Investing in mentorship, scholarships and those kinds of things are very important,” Anuzis said. As an educator he also hopes to take a look at several of Wayne State’s academic programs that he thinks “could be models that should be amplified.”

Anuzis is particularly fond of Math Corps, an academic mentoring program for students in Detroit Public Schools run by Wayne State. He said the program benefits the local community and helps prepare students for college.

“College success starts with middle school success, high school success,” Anuzis said. “And I'd love to see Wayne State do more of what Math Corps does.”

The Democratic candidates are also looking for ways to enhance Wayne State’s impact across Michigan and the Detroit metro area, particularly when it comes to healthcare.

“There's a lot of underserved areas, specifically regarding medical treatment,” Akeel said. “So I think exploring that and trying to expand on an outreach program to provide medical service using Wayne State's wonderful medical university to help the underserved areas, provide medical treatment, I think that would be good.”

Free speech and civil rights

The Republican candidates have made a point of campaigning on the issue of defending free speech, which they believe is not sufficiently respected around campus.

“I've talked to several students at Wayne State University recently,” Anuzis said. “I wouldn't say that it is like open censorship, but there's a soft censorship. People don't feel free to speak their mind in the classroom. And we need to fix that.”

While Anuzis and Murphy believe Wayne State could improve its free speech record, they are not particularly sympathetic to student protesters. The pair believes that demonstrations should not take place if they disrupt students’ academic health, an issue Murphy said she had personal experience with during her time at the university.

“I remember a particular moment sitting in differential equations class at Wayne State University, and there was a protest going on outside the window,” Murphy said. “And I remember thinking, it's not that I disagree with you, but can you please be quiet?”

The Democratic candidates are also concerned about the state of free speech and other rights on campus, though they believe the threat mostly originates from the Trump administration. They believe that as lawyers they will be able to help defend Wayne State from any legal threats it may face from the federal government.

“They say lawyers are the foot soldiers of the Constitution, and we're going to be there to make sure that every student has their proper due process and has their rights respected,” Akeel said. “And that's not just for students, it's for faculty, for union workers.”

Institutional stability

Wayne State has experienced significantly less administrative turmoil than U of M or MSU have over the last several years, though it has not been entirely calm either. The university’s current president, Richard Bierschbach, was only recently appointed to the position after the resignation of former President Kimberly Espy resigned last year following strife with campus protesters and leadership turnover at the university’s medical school.

All candidates said they were excited about Bierschbach’s presidency, and would work to keep the board’s meetings productive. The Democratic candidates both emphasized fostering a culture of mutual respect and compromise.

“The way that we relate to folk on the board has got to be on a position of respect and a position of going through ideas, but also making sure you understand why the ideas are held,” Mack said. “One of the things that I really pride myself on as a union negotiator is a pragmatic approach.”

The Republican candidates echoed this sentiment. Anuzis further suggested delegating as much of Wayne State’s day-to-day operations to relevant experts at the university.

“Our job is not to micromanage,” Anuzis said. “It's not to create programs. It's not to show up on day one with the 10-point plan swinging in the wind, saying, look, I've got all this figured out. I think our job is to be prudent managers of the resources of the university.”

A recent court ruling in a lease dispute could profoundly change Michigan contract law, according to the lawyer for the landlords in the case.

An Oakland County man and his old landlords sued one another over rent and a security deposit for a home that allegedly wasn’t up to par.

Both parties agreed the landlords didn’t have a permit to lease the space. Because of that, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel unanimously found the lease was invalid from the beginning.

“Because renting and occupying the unit was undeniably 'central to the parties’ agreement,' the entire contract is void ab initio,” Judge Mark Boonstra wrote on behalf of the court.

By finding the lease itself invalid, the court ruled the breach of contract claims also didn’t matter.

Attorney Ari Lehman represents the landlords in the case. He said that opens a whole legal can of worms, especially for people acting unethically.

“What would a court now do if somebody doesn’t have a landlords’ license or the right requirements and signs a lease with somebody?” Lehman asked rhetorically, “He would get their first months’ rent, a month and a half security deposit and say, ‘Sorry, not a valid contract.’”

Lehman questioned whether, if leases without proper permits were deemed illegal, tenants under them would be considered trespassers under the new precedent.

In regard to the security deposit in the case, the Court of Appeals found the tenant didn’t have any duty to pay it in the first place. And, without lease conditions guiding the agreement, the landlords therefore didn’t have any responsibility to pay it back under the Michigan Landlord-Tenant Act.

“The lease was void ab initio, so there was no enforceable rental agreement to establish any rights or obligations with respect to the security deposit. Nor does the Landlord-Tenant Act govern the parties’ rights in this situation because it 'applies only to security deposits held pursuant to leases,'” Boonstra said.

However, the ruling did leave the door open for the tenant to recoup some of his money by claiming "unjust enrichment" against his former landlords.

Lehman said that’s also worrying, since unjust enrichment claims don't usually apply to illegal activities.

“I don’t think you can come to court and sue for unjust enrichment if you pay for drugs and don’t get your drugs. You’re engaging in illegal activity. It’s not just the contract’s bad. You don’t have a claim for unjust enrichment either,” Lehman said.

Overall, Lehman accuses the court of overstepping its power.

The rental property was in West Bloomfield Township, where the penalty for renting without a certificate of compliance is a civil fine. Lehman argued using the statute to invalidate a lease agreement altogether went too far.

“This is clearly the courts interfering with a legislature’s ability to craft a rule and craft a specific remedy for that rule and keep it in proportion,” he said.

The appellate judges returned the case to the circuit court for further proceedings.

A healthy dose of salt may not sound like a particularly healthy choice. For many of us, it just sounds like a lot of salt. That's because "healthy" has come to mean more than just being in good physical shape.

So, how did a word associated with good health come to describe something substantial or sizable?

"Healthy" dates to the late 1400s, when it referred to being in good physical condition. By the late 1500s, it could also describe good mental or spiritual health. Then, speakers starting using "healthy" to describe an appetite, one that indicated someone was in good health.

That's how other things that were robust or sizable became "healthy."

That shift is evident in expressions like a "healthy dose of skepticism" or a "healthy respect for the law." Depending on the context, "healthy" can mean something appropriate or fitting, or it can suggest a considerable amount. Not every healthy dose is necessarily healthy in the literal sense.

The word "wellness" has undergone its own evolution. Although it dates back to the 1600s, its meaning broadened in the 1950s to encompass not just the absence of illness, but positive physical, mental and spiritual health. For more on "wellness," "healthy," and other words we use to talk about well-being, listen to the audio above.