Michigan Republicans and Democrats exchanged barbs Monday over Chinese investment in the U.S. — and in Michigan in particular.

Michigan Republicans accused prominent state Democrats of providing a “safe zone” for companies fronting for the Chinese Communist party.

The criticism is tied to recent projects involving companies planning manufacturing investments in Michigan.

The main criticism involves a planned electric vehicle battery plant near Big Rapids. The company behind the project, Gotion, is a U.S.-based subsidiary of a Chinese company. The articles of association of the parent company say it must “carry out party activities in accordance with the constitution of the Communist party of China,” but a spokesperson for the company has said there’s distance between the Chinese government and the company’s business decisions.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate and former congressman Mike Rogers accused his Democratic opponent, Representative Elissa Slotkin, of playing a role in attracting the project to west Michigan.

“I can tell you as a member of Congress for those seven terms, never once — never once — did I see an elected official sign a non-disclosure agreement for any issue, let alone a company that is tied to the communist party of China,” said Rogers.

A spokesman for Democratic Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin called Rogers’ allegations a “false attack,” insisting Slotkin has never signed any agreement involving a project connected to the Chinese government.

Slotkin has introduced legislation giving the federal government additional authority to investigate Chinese-backed business dealings in the United States.

Democrats counter that Republicans are trying to distract from Rogers’ own history of working with U.S. companies that have partnered with Chinese businesses.

Rogers worked as a security advisor for AT&T and a risk analyst for Nokia (a Finnish company) while those companies had loose ties to the Chinese telecom company Huawei.

Rogers has defended his business dealings since leaving Congress, insisting his record shows he has long fought against Chinese intellectual property theft and other threats to the U.S.

Rogers and Slotkin are running to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat could prove pivotal for deciding which party will control the Senate.

The Michigan Democratic Party is facing a lawsuit over the race for its University of Michigan Board of Regents nomination.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The race was decided at the party’s Aug. 24 nominating convention in Lansing.

According to official party results, civil rights attorney Huwaida Arraf lost her bid for the party’s nomination for the U of M Board of Regents.

But Arraf said there were irregularities she’d like explained. She said her lawsuit is because party leaders haven’t provided election data she’s been asking for.

“If there’s something [that] happened that we don’t understand, then just tell us,” Arraf told reporters during a press call Thursday.

Arraf’s claims include that more people voted in the race than were credentialed and that the party barred her campaign from observing the vote tabulation process during the August convention.

One source of confusion was the party’s weighted voting system in which “each county’s (or portion thereof) delegates within a multi-county Congressional District Convention, caucus, or meeting, or at the State Convention, have a voting strength proportional to the number of Democratic voters from that county (or portion) at the last General Election relative to the total number of Democratic voters in the District or the state, regardless of how many delegates are present at the convention, caucus, or meeting.”

A press release sent by Arraf’s campaign earlier this week included screenshots that the campaign said show email exchanges with party chair Lavora Barnes listing out raw vote totals and weight equivalent.

In her lawsuit, Arraf is asking Michigan’s 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County to bar the race results from being finalized to the general election ballot until “a full and transparent investigation or audit of the University of Michigan Regents vote-counting process” takes place.

In a statement, a Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson said, “We are waiting to review the complaint filed with the Ingham County Clerk and look forward to following the proper legal process.”

Arraf had entered the race later than her two opponents, whom were already serving on the board and seeking renomination. She came in with support of pro-Palestinian activists.

While talking to reporters, Arraf acknowledged she very well may have lost the race. But she accused the party of sending the wrong message to her supporters by not being transparent.

“Encouraging young people, encouraging minorities, encouraging historically disenfranchised people to get involved in the voting process, what we hear over and over and over again is, ‘What does it matter? My vote doesn’t count anyway.’ And this is exactly the message that they’re getting now,” Arraf said.

According to court records, Ingham County Judge James Jamo has sent a first hearing in the case for Friday at 9 a.m.

Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN

Other headlines for Friday, Sept. 6, 2024:

•  The city of Detroit is now accepting applications from senior citizen homeowners who wish to apply for a discount on their Solid Waste Fee for their home.
• This Sunday will be the last day to check out the Michigan Science Center’s “Above and Beyond” exhibition offering a 360-degree view of Earth in Orbit.
• The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is seeking applications for the BOPC Youth Advisory Panel. Applications are due Sept. 30.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

There likely was no busier man at last week’s Democratic National Convention than transplanted Michigander Pete Buttigieg.

The U.S. transportation secretary stresses he’s using his personal time to campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket — and he seemed to be the go-to spokesperson for the media.

Buttigieg, who was on the list of potential Harris running mates, is viewed by some pundits as a possible gubernatorial candidate when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited out after 2026.

But Buttigieg says he’s focusing now on helping Democrats maintain the enthusiasm shown at the convention all the way through to Election Day.

Listen: Buttigieg says Dems will ‘bottle’ energy from DNC to propel presidential ticket

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Pete Buttigieg: We’ve got many, long weeks ahead. But what we’re going to do is we’re going to take the joy and the positive energy [from the convention], we’re going to bottle it up and we’re going to use it to propel us through the weeks ahead. Of course, on every campaign there are curveballs, there are setbacks. Although I do think it is notable that in the many weeks since Kamala Harris became our candidate, she hasn’t put a foot wrong. People kept saying, “Is this the honeymoon? You know, this is a few days, then it gets real.” The energy has been sustained. The momentum has been sustained. But as she keeps reminding us, we still need to remember that this is an underdog effort.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: Any concerns about the protests regarding Israel and Gaza at the convention and whether or not that could actually have a significant impact on the campaign going forward?

PB: That’s one more point of difference between us and the Trump-Vance ticket. Not just the approach she has, to bringing peace to the Middle East, but also the approach she’s bringing to engaging protesters and demonstrators. She’s reaching out to those parts of our party that are so concerned. Versus this idea you hear from Trump about basically turning the military on protesters. We understand the legitimate concerns of those who have spoken out and will continue to engage.

QK: When you talk to voters about what their number one issue is, there still seems to be a lot of worries about the economy. You obviously have a big background in the Midwest, as well as with issues like infrastructure and so on. What do you see that a Harris administration could do that a Trump administration would not, in terms of trying to help lower prices, etc?

PB: The biggest concern in the economy is around prices. And economists who have analyzed the Trump plan believe it will add $3,900 a year to a family’s expenses, because he wants to add all these additional charges (tariffs) on imported goods. You contrast that with the Harris plan that’s very focused on lowering costs. Also, if we want to talk about economic performance, let’s talk about jobs. There was a manufacturing recession under Trump, and that’s even before COVID. Right now, there’s a manufacturing boom the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. A construction boom as well, because the infrastructure policies that Trump failed to deliver, this administration has. These are the kinds of things that are explaining why you’ve had in these last few years the most job creation in any presidency in history. Now we’ve got to pair that with continued work to drive prices and inflation back to baseline. And that’s exactly what you’re seeing right now.

QK: How do you make voters feel that? I hear people recite the data and then people say, “Well, I’m not really feeling that in my own house.”

PB: We got to meet folks where they are. This is a real concern, you can’t wave it away. That’s exactly why Harris is being criticized now for being too aggressive in trying to bring prices down. But I think that’s the right kind of focus that demonstrates concern for what voters are feeling. We also, though, need to make sure that there’s no attempt to rewrite history and have people forget about the manufacturing recession and other problems that happened during the Trump years.

QK: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer campaigned on “fixing the damn roads.” You’ve been a Michigan resident for a while now. She is term limited out after 2026. Would you think about running for governor yourself?

PB: I sincerely am not sure what the future holds for me. I’ve got the best job right now and, of course, I’m not speaking in that capacity. But I also am having the best time when I’m not at my day job, campaigning for a ticket and a party that I really believe in. Between the two, those things are taking about 120% of my capacity.

QK: Are you really having the best time? It’s so politically divided now it seems like it would just be hell at times to deal with from the inside.

PB: Well, look, it’s hard work, but it’s hard work that’s worth doing. I believe in politics as a force that, if you understand it in the right way, can make our lives better. As I shared with the convention audience, I recognize the fact that the simple existence of my family — just what goes on at our dinner table — is only possible because of political involvement, political courage and political action that brought about things like marriage equality. Whatever the biggest issue is that’s affecting somebody’s life, chances are it either gets better or worse depending on the political choices we make. Of course it’s hard. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a death match. And part of why I think Americans are ready to change the channel away from the Trump show, part of why folks are just more and more tired of that, is that most Americans don’t view the political process as something that has to be all about negativity and grievance and revenge. It can be a process of engaging our neighbors, and of course it’ll be tough sometimes, but it can also be really uplifting.

It’s really great speaking to the Michigan audience, in particular, because that’s where the infrastructure and the manufacturing results of the Biden-Harris vision are not just playing out, but very much at stake. The job creation and the clean energy economy that’s bringing back so many blue collar jobs in the industrial Midwest, that will either be developed or it will be destroyed, depending on who the next administration is led by. I want to make sure it’s developed so we create even more jobs.

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Democrats continue basking in the afterglow of an energetic national convention, where Kamala Harris became the first Black woman to lead a major party presidential ticket.

But as the fanfare fades, Democrats now must grapple with perhaps THE overriding issue among voters — the state of the economy, and the price of goods and services.

The party faithful say the Midwest — and Michigan in particular — remain the epicenter of efforts to define how best to address economic concerns.

At one of the Michigan delegate breakfasts held throughout the convention, those munching their eggs and bagels were greeted by a familiar figure. 

Former Michigan Governor and current U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm pushed-back against surveys showing many voters feel their personal finances were better, when Republicans and Donald Trump controlled the White House. 

“They are not better on the economy!” Granholm said. “This administration, the Biden-Harris administration has created more jobs than any president in the history of America in one term. We are the ones who are bringing this economy back, and Michigan is at the tip of the spear.”

Yet Democrats in the room know many Michigan voters feel pushed daily by the cost of food and other items that government data says should actually be more affordable. 

The contradiction is not lost on the volunteer chair of the state Democrats 12th Congressional District, Kevin Tolbert. He says he’ll be retiring within days from his full-time job with the United Auto Worker union and claims Republicans who blame Democrats for inflation are selling his fellow members a bad bill of goods.

“Those prices aren’t high because of something that someone in government did,” said Tolbert. “Those prices are high because we have conglomerates controlling the majority of the grocery stores and the things of that nature. So I know people are feeling that pain, but if we understand the focus is directed correctly. Let’s look at the real problems and figure out solutions instead of being targeted to be mad at the wrong people.”

Yet a significant number of traditionally left-leaning union members say they will back Trump because he is for the “working class.”

It’s a theme GOP Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance touted during a recent campaign stop in a Grand Rapids suburb. 

“When American businesses threatened to shut down factories and move them to Mexico and China, remember what Trump did? He picked up the phone and said, ‘if you do that, I’m going to introduce you to a little word called the tariff.’ And a lot of Americans benefit because he was willing to fight for their interests and their American jobs,” Vance said.

Democrats counter that Trump wants to target so many foreign products with tariffs it would amount to a national sales tax on goods and services.

Vice President Kamala Harris presented her economic agenda about a week before accepting the Democratic nomination for president.

Though somewhat vague on specifics, Harris pledged to limit the cost of prescription drugs and work to pass what she calls the first federal ban on price-gouging by grocery store chains. 

“My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules, and we will support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rules and get ahead,” she said. “Because I believe more competition means lower prices for you and your families.” 

It’s a vow greeted with gratitude by some outside the chain link fences that surrounded the Chicago convention site, even among those who chanted a message that might startle Michiganders almost as much as high food prices.

A small group of Ohioans lined a street, chanting “Ohio! Fire Jim Jordan-dot-com. Elect Tamie Wilson to Congress. Ohio!” They were campaigning for the Democrat’s long-shot bid to unseat Trump ally Jordan in the U.S. House. 

Wilson says Jordan and the GOP tried to stop the Biden administration from setting up a domestic supply chain for semiconductor chips and electric batteries. She says such efforts further inflame an electorate already edgy about their finances. 

“Oh yeah, everyone’s worried about the economy,” said Wilson. “I’m worried about the economy, and that’s why I’m running for Congress. You know, Jim Jordan, he voted against the CHIPS Act, which is bringing 10,000 jobs to Ohio. People in my district shouldn’t have to drive an hour, two hours, to get a good-paying job.” 

Standing with Wilson, Ohio attorney Rocky Ratliff notes that the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic upheaval across the country. 

He says those who fondly remember the flow of commerce during most of former President Trump’s term forget the situation the Biden-Harris administration found itself in. 

“What they got was a world to clean up post-COVID, with kids in school, with the economy and so forth, having to kick-start it,” he said. “They didn’t have a well-running economy handed down by the Obama presidency. So they didn’t have that opportunity. Ever.” 

Nearby, at the entrance to the “Dem-Palooza” Expo, volunteer Julia Hofmann said she traveled to the convention from Orlando, Florida, where the pandemic — and the resulting economic chaos — turned her life upside down. 

“I am a small business owner and a mother of three. And it is hard, it is hard,” she said. “When I planned my family several years ago and knew I wanted three children…I knew I could afford it. And now I can’t. And the spending power of clients has gone down dramatically. So as a small business owner I’m greatly impacted.” 

Hofmann says she is not so concerned about who to blame for high prices. She says she just wants Kamala Harris to bring cost of living down. 

“I don’t think that is Biden’s fault. I think the wheels were in motion and a lot of what transpired was from policy that Trump put into place,” said Hofmann. “Not thrilled with how Biden has addressed it, or lack of addressing. So I think a fresher face might be good.” 

It’s a hope shared by other Democrats at the national convention, even as Republicans contend Harris is part of a Biden administration they claim has not effectively addressed the nation’s financial woes. 

President Biden has reportedly been frustrated that much of his economic agenda has been slow to show an impact voters can feel. 

Whether presidential candidate Harris can make the case that she will have more of an immediate impact on prices may decide who wins battleground states like Michigan — and ultimately — the White House. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is set to give a speech in primetime Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The governor said she plans to lay out the case for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris from the perspective of a swing-state governor — focusing her attention on independents and Republicans who are disenchanted with the direction of the GOP.

Whitmer’s national profile has been rising within the Democratic Party since 2020, and she’s been greeted warmly — often loudly — by crowds at events across Chicago this week.

Many other Michiganders have taken the convention stage earlier in the week, including U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain. U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee who will face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in November, will also be addressing the convention on Thursday.

I spoke with Gov. Whitmer ahead of her upcoming DNC speech on Thursday evening about the changes happening in the Democratic Party and what she plans to do when her term ends in two years.

Listen: Whitmer shares goals for Democratic Party, Michigan ahead of DNC address 

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Russ McNamara: Mallory McMorrow, Dana Nessel, Elissa Slotkin, yourself all speaking at the DNC — it seems like “those women from Michigan” are well represented at the DNC.

Gretchen Whitmer: I think so. You know, I think this is an exciting time, and we’re so fortunate to have so many prominent leaders that have got an opportunity to talk about our Michigan story. It’s exciting.

RM: How does that all tie in with Vice President Kamala Harris now being at the top of the ticket?

GW: Well, you know what? We are embarking on potentially a big new chapter in this country where women have the opportunity to lead. We’ve seen what can happen when women lead in Michigan — we work together, we solve problems, we work with low ego and just try to get things done. I’m proud to be here with my daughter so that they can see the diversity, the inclusion, the strength and the vision that this leadership is bringing to the country.

RM: How do you reach out to the mythical independent voter, or the people who are on the center right, trying to bring them into the fold — people who are maybe not necessarily happy with Donald Trump, but have voted for him possibly twice at this point?

GW: I think we stay focused on the fundamentals. That’s what unites us. That’s what we’ve done in Michigan. You don’t win an election by almost 11 points without a lot of people crossing over. And I think in large part, it’s because we listen to voters. We ask them, “What do you need?” When people say, “the roads,” we don’t ask are you a Republican or a Democrat? We just know that that’s a Michigan need, and that’s what we focus on. And so we find common ground by focusing on these fundamentals. When Vice President Harris talks about the opportunity economy, she’s not talking about opportunity for some. She’s talking about creating paths to prosperity for all, and that should be something that unites us.

RM: Will we have a united legislature by the time January rolls around? You like your sports analogies…how has it been playing with the lead and having a Democratic-controlled legislature the past two years, and how might that change if Republicans get control of the House?

GW: On my first term, I worked with all Republicans in the legislature leadership, and you know, I am grateful that I’ve got so many great partners in the legislature now we’ve been able to deliver on some really important things — whether it’s free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million Michigan kids, or common sense gun safety measures, or simply our climate agenda, or making sure that LGBTQ has full civil rights. This is, I think, a moment where we could see a swing, or maybe not, I’m not sure, but my oath is to the people of Michigan, my oath is to get my job done, and I’m always going to work with whomever is there.

RM: What are the plans for the legislature and your priorities heading into the fall?

GW: Well, you know, obviously a lot of them are going to be on the campaign trail quite a bit, but I want to continue the work that we’ve started with regard to economic development. We are seeing such tremendous growth in bringing supply chains home and advanced manufacturing, but there’s more work we need to do to make sure Michigan remains competitive, and that is at the top of my list.

RM: The SOAR fund — talking about diverting some of that towards public transit — do you see that as a positive, a step in the right direction? Or do you want to continue with the business incentives?

GW: I think it’s important. We’re working with the business community and labor organizations. It’s important that we’re building an economy that will grow — that makes us competitive — and that is about good paying jobs. And so the SOAR fund has been a tool, and R&D tax credit, we know that there are additional investments that we could make if we had some of the sharp skills and tools that other states bring to the table, and that’s why we want to keep honing what tools we have.

RM: You are getting a prominent speaking spot Thursday in front of the convention. You’ve been on a consistent rise over the past four years, ever since the COVID lockdown. You drew the attention of former President Trump. There’s been some sparring through the media, back and forth. Where do you go for here? I know you have two years left in your term…but where is the next step for you? What do you want?

GW: What I want is leaders who get things done, and don’t have a high ego and don’t feed into the divisive politics that I think are really corrosive in American politics today. I want to do this job for the next two years, and I don’t know what happens next, but I am grateful to be the governor of Michigan. I’m proud of the state of Michigan. I love our state and the people who call it home, and that will remain my focus for the next two years, and then maybe I’ll take a breather for a bit.

RM: Do you really want a breather? I know it’s been an intense eight years at that point, and you’ve had to endure more than many governors have. But is now the time to seize some momentum? Or are you just going to need like a gap year?

GW: I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. You know I’ve got three generations of my family in the state of Michigan. I never planned to leave. What public service or what service looks like in the future I cannot conceive of at the moment, but I do think it would be good to take a little bit of time. I’ve always wanted to go out west and see the national parks, just on a trip — not moving — but that’s something that is on my list of things to do in 2027.

RM: You’re a popular person around here at the DNC…do you have that opportunity to go out and be a normal person occasionally? How many concerts have you missed over the last six years because you really couldn’t?

GW: You know what I would love to return to normal life and enjoy my family…but I am grateful. I’m never going to complain about the hardships that come with this job or the opportunities that come with it. This is what I signed up for, even if it’s been a little more than any of us could have conceived six years ago. But I really feel very fortunate to be the governor of Michigan. I’m proud and grateful.

RM: I don’t like gotcha questions, but do you have a lion’s final record prediction?

GW: We’re going to win the Super Bowl. Boom.

Listen to Detroit Public Radio tonight at 9 p.m. for continuing coverage of the DNC.

Rick Pluta from the Michigan Public Radio Network contributed to this report. Use the media player above to listen to the interview with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

On this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, stories include this week’s excitement at the Democratic National Convention around the Harris-Walz presidential ticket; Michigan’s launch of a new statewide “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dems rally around Harris, Walz at DNC

The Harris-Walz ticket is creating a sheen of excitement at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And some notable metro Detroiters are part of it.

That includes long-time Democratic activist Reverend Wendell Anthony. He says Harris’ status as the first women of color to head a major party presidential ticket is re-invigorating Democrat’s ability to get out the vote for the general election.

“This is Freedom Summer Two…that’s what I call it,” he said. “Freedom Summer One was 60 years ago. Black folk and white folk went south to Mississippi to help register people to vote, because they couldn’t vote. They went volunteering. Now people from all across the country are coming, volunteering, because they want to preserve freedom, democracy and the right to vote still.”

Anthony claims former President Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to challenge the election in states like Michigan if he is not declared the winner in November. 

Applications open for PitchMI

Applications are officially open for PitchMI, a statewide “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition created to help solve Michigan’s transportation troubles.

The state’s Growth Office will invest $100,000 in one innovative solution that transforms the way Michiganders get from point A to point B safely, affordably and efficiently. PitchMI is meant to spur entrepreneurial problem-solving, connect innovators with capital and create a ripple effect to accelerate more innovation, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The competition is scheduled to take place Thursday, Oct. 24, during the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification’s conference at Newlab in Detroit. Applicants for PitchMI must be available to participate in-person. Its open to start-up companies with 51% of their employees in the state of Michigan. Solutions should be demonstration-ready with working prototypes. 

For more information and to apply, visit growingmichigan.org/opportunities. The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 16. 

Detroit to unveil Joe Louis Neighborhood Stories

The city of Detroit will unveil its Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Stories signage project this week.

Ten signs will be placed along the Joe Louis Greenway telling the story of the Midwest-Tireman neighborhood. The city used residents as Story Gatherers to collect oral histories from long-time neighborhood residents. Those stories were turned into signs designed by the firm Good Done Daily.

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Thursday at 8034 West Warren Ave., Detroit, with light refreshments on offer. Parking is available on McDonald Street. 

HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival

The HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival takes place at Michigan Central next week.

Black filmmakers attending HBCUs will screen their films from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m on Friday, Aug. 23, with contest winners announced on Saturday, Aug. 24. The grand prize is $10,000.

This is the first time the event will be in-person. Autumn Sun, the group organizing the festival, was founded by Detroit native Bruce Clifton. The film screenings and panel discussions are free, but the award ceremony and gala on the 24th require tickets. For more information, visit autumnsunfest.org. 

Annual ‘Fun in the Park’ event returns

Residents of Detroit’s District 7 are invited to Stein Park from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, for the second annual Fun in the Park event. The free, family-friendly event will feature food, games, music, activities for all ages and more. 

Stein Park is located at 18899 Chicago St., Detroit. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, Aug. 24.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) received some rare time on a national platform Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

She talked about one aspect of the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” – the conservative group’s plan for restructuring the U.S. Government, should Donald Trump win another term. 

McMorrow warned that a Trump administration would replace civil servants across a wide swath of the federal government with people that would serve Trump’s interest and not the country’s. 

I caught up with McMorrow after her speech at the Democratic National Convention to talk about her message about Project 2025 and her future priorities for the state.

Listen: McMorrow on her DNC speech, future priorities for the state

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Russ McNamara: How did it come about that you were asked to speak at the Democratic National Convention?

Mallory McMorrow: It was wild. I got a phone call out of the blue a few weeks ago from Julie Rodriguez, the Harris campaign manager, who asked if I would be willing to speak at the convention. The answer was, of course, yes.

RM: The topic, Project 2025 — each night, someone’s going to be breaking down a different part of it. How much control did you have over the messaging? Because you took what could be a dry subject and put a little life into it.

MM: We did it could potentially be a really dry subject. So they pitched me on the topic, but I worked really closely with a speechwriter on how we were going to present it, because my whole thing is, we have to explain things to people in regular, common language, like you talk to your friend at a bar.

RM: You’ve had a couple of your floor speeches go viral. You’ve got over 250,000 Twitter (X) followers, it seems like, for the past, at least six weeks, the Democratic Party is really trying to reach out to younger voters. Do you see that the National Democratic Party is kind of realizing that you have a different touch, and can really bring in that demographic from early 20s to mid 30s.

MM: Absolutely, I think looking at the lineup that we saw on night one, you had everybody from Maxine Waters to the President of the United States to Kamala making a surprise appearance, to me, to AOC, who, a couple of years ago, you know, was an outsider and not considered the norm in the Democratic Party. And I think that they’ve done a really fantastic job of recognizing to be a big tent party you have to present your big tent. And I think that they did that last night, and it’s really cool to be a part of
it.

RM: What are your overall aspirations? I know it’s early, you still have one more Senate term to go, potentially barring reelection. But what do you want?

MM: I really love communication — shocker — and helping other people figure out how to do this work themselves. Something that I really, really enjoy is joining advocacy calls, running trainings, helping other people learn how to tell a story and advocate at school board meetings. So I don’t entirely know what that looks like, but I love this work, and I want to keep going as long as I can.

RM: Is that political office, or is this leadership of some sort within a Democratic Party or a nonprofit?

MM: I think there’s a lot of doors open. We’ll see what’s next.

RM: Nuts and Bolts question, what are the priorities for this fall?

MM: We’ve got a lot to do this fall. We’ve got potentially a school supplemental to get done. I know that working with a lot of our school groups on some of the funds that we had last year with the influx of COVID-19 dollars for things like school counselors and public safety are a key priority for us to try to get done. And then for me, the big thing is SOAR reform, we got really, really close before the budget on investing $200 million in transit annually, on housing, on downtown development. I think there’s a path, and I want to try to get it done this fall.

RM: Is it feasible and is there any room in the calendar for another look at car insurance?

MM: I think we have to, you know, the fact that we’ve now lost people from the no fault reform, who lost their care, who have since died. I mean, it’s just devastating to realize that this is fixable, and it just takes the political will to do it. So the fixed bills have been stalled out in the House. I know the House is going to be worried about this being an election year, but this is just common sense to get it done and to save people’s lives.

RM: How much does all of this get put on hold if there is a change in the House after the election?

MM: You know, something that’s been interesting about no fault reform is we have had bipartisan support. We had it last term. We’ve had it this term, I think, particularly in the metro Detroit area — inclusive of Macomb County, outer Oakland County — we have legislators who see their constituents directly impacted by this. So I think that regardless of what happens this fall, there’s going to be a path.

Use the media player above to listen to the full interview.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections notified the independent presidential campaign of progressive political activist and academic Cornel West that a faulty legal document will keep him off the state’s November ballot. In a letter dated Friday, Michigan’s elections chief said West’s affidavit of identity was not properly notarized. “For the reasons described below, the Department is required by law to disqualify you, and the Department will not certify you as candidate on ballots for the November 5, 2024 general election,” said the letter signed by Michigan Elections Director Jonathan Brater. The affidavit was filled out and mailed to Michigan from Colorado. The Michigan Bureau of Elections’ letter outlined four technical violations under Colorado law that, because of reciprocity between states, meant the affidavit had not been property notarized. Brater said Michigan law is strict on this point. The letter said West did not reply to an earlier request to respond to the state’s determination, but still gave the campaign another five days following the notification to do so. The bureau did not make determinations on other challenges filed by a Michigan Democratic Party activist. The West campaign said the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee are behind the action, which it said is based on “trivial technicalities being weaponized to distract from substantive policy debates.” West spokesperson Edwin DeJesus said the campaign is preparing a court challenge. “We are confident that these accusations will be seen for what they are—frivolous and unfounded attempts to stifle opposition and debate,” he said in an email to the Michigan Public Radio Network. One of the organizations involved in the challenge said it is not a trivial matter. “Candidates who play by the rules should be on the ballot, but Cornel West is blatantly not playing by the rules, in Michigan or anywhere else,” said Pete Kavanaugh of Clear Choice Action in an e-mail. He said the point of notarization is to ensure signers of legal documents understand them and are abiding by the law. “Michigan made the appropriate decision based on the facts,” he said. The race between Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump is expected to be very close in the swing state of Michigan. Independent and third party candidates could play a role in determining the outcome.

Michigan Democrats are seeking a messaging reset with party leaders holding events around the state as Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to be their party’s presidential candidate.

Earlier statewide polls showed President Joe Biden struggling following a poor debate performance last month against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. That was before the assassination attempt on Trump and before Biden bowed out of the race for president. Michigan Democrats are anxious now to turn the page.

“I think, as President Biden said, it was time to pass the torch to the next generation. I, for one, as a Gen X-er, would be thrilled to see myself and my generation represented in the White House,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Kamala Harris is the perfect transition candidate.”

At an event in Lansing, Nessel said Harris will bring a fresh perspective to the job of being a candidate and, if elected, to being president.

“She’ll have a lot of policies in common with President Biden, but, you know, I guess, she will have her own agenda, as well,” she said.

State Representative Kara Hope (D-Holt) said she is already seeing a shift.

“There’s work to do, for sure,” she said. “But we’re moving in the right direction, especially with certain constituencies – young people, people of color, we’re making gains there already and I think that bodes well for November.”

The stakes are not only Michigan’s 15 electoral votes, but the top of the ticket will also affect close congressional races, a competitive race for an open U.S. Senate seat, and Democrats’ control of the Michigan House of Representatives.

“Keeping the majority in the state House is going to be very pivotal,” said state Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing). “And I think the decisions that were made over the weekend and the fact that the party and the delegates have all come around Vice President Harris is going to really bode well here in Michigan for those that are running for Congress as well as keeping the House in Democratic control.”

Republicans say the change at the top of the ticket will not change their strategy in Michigan – a critical swing state that went for Trump in his 2016 race against former U.S. Senator and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton then flipped to Biden in 2020.

“Dangerously liberal Kamala Harris is responsible for every struggle Michiganders have faced over the last three and a half years,” said Michigan Trump campaign spokesperson Victoria LaCivita. “Her policies led to skyrocketing inflation, inability to afford gas and groceries, violent crime at the hands of illegal immigrants, and a California-elitist obsession with electric vehicles.”

Trump is the official GOP nominee following the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee earlier this month. Harris must still be formally nominated at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago.