Democratic voters in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District have a choice in the 2026 primary election: re-elect incumbent Rashida Tlaib or pick someone new.
Tlaib is seeking her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She’ll have to defeat two challengers whose names appear on the August ballot. One is former state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson of Detroit. The other is Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen.
WDET’s Pat Batcheller asked the candidates why they’re running. Tlaib says she loves her constituents and wants to keep serving them.
“They want somebody that’s unbought and unapologetic,” she says. “Getting people through everyday challenges and issues is as important as any bill I could ever pass because it changed lives immediately.”
Who is Rashida Tlaib?
Tlaib was born and raised in Detroit, the eldest of 14 children whose ancestors are Palestinian.
“I was always protecting my siblings and even my mother as I would translate for her at the cashier counter,” she says.
Tlaib put herself through law school, worked at the Sugar Law Center, and served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years. She became interested in politics as an aide to her legislative predecessor, Steve Tobocman.
“He said, ‘I’ll teach you how to kill a bill,'” she recalls. “When he was term-limited out, he asked me to run.”
She’s not shy
As a state lawmaker, and then as a congresswoman, Tlaib has been outspoken on many issues, such as immigration. Many of her constituents are immigrants who live in southwest Detroit, where she grew up. She also represents Dearborn, which has a large Arab American and Muslim population. Tlaib has criticized the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants regardless of their legal status. She wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We’re getting complaints over and over that they’re deporting U.S. citizens,” she says. “We can have a comprehensive, very humane, and fair immigration system without this aggressive, very violent, militarized agency.”
Tlaib has been Washington’s most vocal critic of Israel and its war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of Palestinians. Israel says it’s defending itself from terrorist groups such as Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Tlaib has voted against giving financial aid or weapons to Israel. And she doesn’t apologize for it.
“More of my colleagues are joining in now,” she says. “We’re talking about over 100 now who also support ending the funding.”
Roots in the community
Tlaib’s primary opponents say she spends too much time focusing on Israel and foreign policy than she does working for her constituents. One challenger, former state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson, called Tlaib ineffective, saying Congress has only passed one of her bills in eight years.
Tlaib says that’s not true. She says the House passed several bills she sponsored, including a federal water assistance program.
“I was able to get $1.1 billion to help families get their water turned back on,” she says. “And $68 million back to the district through the community-funded projects from the Boys and Girls Clubs for home repair.”
Affordability goes beyond high prices
Tlaib agrees with Jackson and her other challenger, Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen, that affordability is a big issue in the 12th district. But she says it’s about more than just the cost of gasoline, food, and housing—it’s greed.
“The big banks, the corporations, the industries, all of them are extracting from our federal government and pulling all these resources away,” she says. “It’s all profit-driven, and it leaves a lot our families in survivor mode.”
Tlaib blames President Trump for much of the nation’s problems. He is one of Tlaib’s biggest critics. If House Democrats regain the majority in the 2026 midterm elections, Tlaib says she won’t back down during his final two years in office. And she resists her opponents’ calls to compromise with Republicans.
“How do you compromise with a fascist government that thinks my neighbors’ votes should count or that polluting their communities is OK?” she asks. “I push back no matter how unpopular it is.”
Whoever wins the primary election will likely win the general election in November because the 12th district is a Democratic stronghold. Voting ends on August 4.
Meet the other candidates for the 12th Congressional District:
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Democratic voters in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District have a choice in the 2026 primary election: re-elect incumbent Rashida Tlaib or pick someone new.
Tlaib is seeking her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She’ll have to defeat two challengers whose names appear on the August ballot. One Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen. The is former state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson of Detroit.
WDET’s Pat Batcheller asked Jackson why she’s running against Tlaib. She says the district needs someone who focuses more on what’s happening in Detroit.
“I feel like we’re a stool for her to stand on to move and project the needs of another group of people that are suffering somewhere else,” Jackson says.
Who is Shanelle Jackson?
Jackson describes herself as “a Detroit girl through and through.” She attended Detroit Public Schools, the University of Michigan, and Marygrove College. She earned a master’s degree in social justice and political science and became a lawyer. At age 26, she ran for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives. She won, becoming the youngest woman of color ever elected to the state Legislature. She served six years from 2007 through 2012.
Jackson says she became an effective Democratic policy maker by working with Republicans.
“I drove across the state, I met them in their districts,” she says. “I learned the art of policymaking, moving policies to change folks’ lives.”
Jackson says Tlaib lacks that ability.
“You have to have a willingness to be amenable to the other side,” Jackson says. “You’ve got to be willing to sit with them to work with them, understand them, learn from them, listen.”
Addressing poverty is critical
Jackson says affordability is the top issue facing the 12th district. She says the root of that is poverty, which affects almost half of Metro Detroit. She says the way to break that cycle is to help people find work.
“We do that with education,” Jackson says. “But we also do that with investment in job training, public-private partnerships.”
The former lawmaker says Congress needs to help people who receive public assistance avoid what she calls the “benefits cliff.”
“What happens is you get men and women who are on assistance, they get a small raise,” she says. “But as soon as they get that, they get pushed off assistance.”
Jackson says she hopes to restore people’s trust in government.
“Some folks feel disenchanted with the process,” she says. “I’ll tell your story; I’ll make sure that our voice and our perspective is heard.”
Finding common ground
Despite her reservations about Tlaib’s effectiveness, Jackson says she shares many of the congresswoman’s positions.
“She’s a great advocate on social justice issues,” Jackson says. Both women support women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and universal health care. But Israel is a different story.
Tlaib has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s government and its war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of Palestinians. Israel says it’s defending itself from terrorist groups such as Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Tlaib has voted against giving financial aid or weapons to Israel. Jackson says she stands with Israel, but doesn’t want the U.S. to rush into any conflict.
“I will work toward more diplomatic efforts stopping this war that the president went into without going to Congress for authorization,” she says.
Jackson also says she would reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tlaib says the government should abolish ICE.
Whoever wins the primary election will likely win the general election in November because the 12th district is a Democratic stronghold. Voting ends on August 4.
Meet the other candidates for the 12th Congressional District:
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Democratic voters in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District have a choice in the 2026 primary election: re-elect incumbent Rashida Tlaib or pick someone new.
Tlaib is seeking her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She’ll have to defeat two challengers whose names appear on the August ballot. One is former state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson of Detroit. The other is Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen.
WDET’s Pat Batcheller asked the candidates why they’re running. Nolen says he says he wants to change the tone of American politics.
“Everybody’s standing in their corner and looking at each other, saying ‘I hate you, I don’t want to talk to you,’ and they’re not getting things done,” the mayor says. “I pride myself on getting things done.”
Who is Byron Nolen?
Nolen was born and raised in Inkster. He became a lawyer and represented city residents in a lawsuit over water rates. After they won their case, Nolen says people urged him to run for mayor. He was reluctant at first.
“We were a city manager form of government at the time,” he recalls. “I would just be a glorified city council person.”
Nolen ran anyway and the city revised its charter to give the mayor more power. Voters elected him in 2015, ousted him in 2019, and returned him to office in 2023.
He says affordability is the most important issue in the 12th district. If elected, Nolen says he would work to make their lives better.
“Do what you need to do to improve the quality of life,” he says. “If you can’t do that, get out of the way and let somebody else take over.”
Nolen says he believes Rep. Tlaib has lost that focus.
“I think she’s more of an activist than she is actually a politician or someone who’s trying to get things done for the district,” he argues.
Nolen says he prioritizes local issues
Tlaib has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s government and its war in Gaza, which has killed thousands of Palestinians. Israel says it’s defending itself from terrorist groups such as Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Tlaib has voted against giving financial aid or weapons to Israel. Nolen says he hopes the U.S. changes its policies and makes future aid to Israel conditional. He says that might have happened if Tlaib had openly supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
“You could have had that conversation with Kamala Harris,” he says. “Now, you’re trying to have it with Donald Trump. That’s going to be tough.”
While Nolen might differ with Tlaib’s approach to foreign policy, he does agree with her on many domestic issues, including women’s reproductive rights.
“Your body, your choice, you do what you need to do,” he says. “I don’t think men should be part of the conversation.”
Nolen says he also supports LGBTQ+ rights and universal health care, just as Tlaib does.
He pledges to work across the aisle
Whoever wins the primary election will likely win the general election in November because the 12th district is a Democratic stronghold. If the party wins control of Congress, Nolen says he would work with Republicans to get things done during the final two years of President Trump’s second term.
“The president is only going to sign bills that he wants to sign,” the mayor says. “You figure out what his priority list is, look at what you want to get done, see if there’s some common ground, and try to go after those things.”
Meet the other candidates for the 12th Congressional District:
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
FEMA has awarded a total of $15.8 million dollars in reimbursements to several Michigan entities as part of the recovery stemming from theMarch 2025 winter storms in northern Michigan.
The money goes toward repairing critical public safety communications infrastructure, debris removal and power restoration efforts. The funding comes from FEMA’s Public Assistance program.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was awarded $383,000.
Laura Wotruba is the Director of Communications for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. She says the money will be used to reimburse the state for costs to repair damaged communication towers and clean storm debris around the towers.
The Office of Michigan’s Public Safety Communications System is housed in the department. It maintains the second largest trunked communication system in the world, connecting local, state, federal and tribal communications with first responders. The network includes more than 2,600 agencies and 165,000 radios to aid emergency response in all Michigan counties. The system also includes some parts of Ohio and Indiana.
The remaining funds include $14.7 million reimbursed Presque Isle Electric & Gas for power restoration and $642,000 to Charlevoix County Road Commission for labor and equipment.
Additional headlines for Monday, July 27, 2027
Gordie Howe opens
The Gordie Howe International Bridge opened for car and truck traffic today after 8 years of construction and recent political tension.
That came to a head when President Trump imposed new tariffs against Canada, which responded by disinviting American officials to last Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony in Windsor.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the Gordie Howe Bridge highlights the bond between the two countries despite tension with the White House.
“We’ll not back down… and we’ll negotiate from a position of strength as a top trading partner… because I know that both Canadians and Americans are better off when we work together instead of standing apart.”
Canada will use toll revenue to pay the bridge’s operating expenses.
If there’s any profit left over, it will split that money with the U.S., which will put its half into an economic development fund. The 15 year agreement also gives the U.S. some control over toll changes.
-Reporting by Alex McLenon
Election board allows money-out-of-politics initiative to move forward
Voters could decide this fall whether to ban political action committees from making donations on behalf of utilities and some public contractors.
The Board of State Canvassers says organizers gathered enough valid petition signatures to send the proposal to the Legislature. If lawmakers don’t approve it, the measure will appear on the November ballot.
Attorney Gary Gordon represents a business group that opposes the ban. He claims the campaign did a sloppy job of signature gathering and didn’t give the state enough time to check their work.
“The staff review of these petitions was truncated by the petitioners gaming the system. They gamed the system by filing way more than the number of signatures they required, thereby increasing the burden on the staff, and they waited until the last minute.”
Canvassers rejected that argument. The group could go to court to keep the measure off the November ballot.
– Reporting by Rick Pluta
Zaman International ED
Zaman International is a Michigan-based nonprofit that works to break cycles of poverty for women and children. Zaman announced their first Executive Director, Mariam Jalloul will be added to the team this year during the organization’s 30th anniversary.
Jalloul will lead the strategic direction to expand Zaman’s work.
She previously served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the City of Dearborn and held leadership positions in the U.S. Congress.
Najah Bazzy is the founder and CEO of Zaman. She will focus on guiding Zaman’s vision, philanthropy and serve as an ambassador for the nonprofit.
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
Michigan Democrats are seizing on new reporting about U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s financial ties to his brother, accusing the Republican congressman of using his political career to benefit himself and his family while neglecting the needs of Southwest Michigan residents.
Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate Primary is one of the most closely watched and deeply debated in the country.
With less than two weeks to go before election day, Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed have gained supporters from across the state.
Retired General Motors worker Theresa Landrum backs Stevens and her “fight” for the US Senate seat.
“We need a fighter like that to fight tooth and nail for the people that are going to be harmed by this current administration,” Landrum said.
El-Sayed supporter Andrew Lyon of Ferndale was originally set to support State Senator Mallory McMorrow’s bid, but a friend offered other options.
“My friend was like, ‘Oh no, you gotta check out Abdul.’ And then I looked him up. I think it was on TikTok,” Lyon said. “(I) started following him, and then instantly (switched). What he wants to fight for is exactly what I believe in.”
What are they fighting for?
Stevens has promised to push back on the Trump Administration and the president himself.
“I’m just fired up to be out here putting my hand up for Michigan in this serious moment,” Stevens said. “It’s no joke what is going on, with Donald Trump stealing from people, illegal impoundments of funds, going after voting rights.”
El-Sayed says he has no love for the president, but he’s fighting against the Democratic Party’s centrist establishment too.
“I’m not dangerous if you’re someone who needs government to work for you. But if you’re Chuck Schumer, damn right I’m dangerous,” El-Sayed said. “If you are someone who wants to stand in the way of government working for people, I am dangerous.”
According to Adam Carlson, founding partner of Zenith Research, only 47% of democrats have a favorable opinion of Schumer. He was commissioned to do a poll for the pro-El-Sayed veterans group Common Defense.
It’s not like Democrats couldn’t see this coming. One of the first things that Mallory McMorrow did when she announced her run for Senate in 2025 was call for Schumer’s removal as Senate Minority Leader.
In New York and Colorado, progressive candidates have primaried centrist incumbents and won. The big question is whether wins in deep blue districts can be replicated in purple states like Michigan.
Carlson said the rage against the Democratic political machine leaves voters open to a left-wing populist.
“I’ve never seen in my 13 years doing this voters so angry, frustrated with like conventional wisdom, and being told who is electable, and just inflation, cost of living, and all that. Just much more responsive to populism, more than a left-right divide,” Carlson said.
Stevens – who has been supported by Schumer from the beginning of her run – doesn’t see this race as a referendum on Democratic Party leadership.
“There are some people who are running who assume that’s what this race is all about, and I don’t think that’s fair to the people of Michigan,” Stevens said. “I believe that this race is about the future of Michigan and our workforce, and who’s going to get points on the scoreboard for organized labor.”
What do voters want in their candidates?
A recent poll by the Michigan-based Glengariff Group showed that the top two things voters want out of a Democratic senate candidate are “fighters” and someone who is “electable.”
For Stevens supporters, electability is all about the general.
Retired U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and retiring Senator Gary Peters both believe Stevens can beat Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers. Peters thinks Stevens will be able to face down a ton of money from Republicans in the general.
“That’s why you have to have someone who has a proven track record of actually winning tough races. And that’s Haley Stevens,” Peters said. “She’s won tough races. She’s had that kind of money spent against her from outside forces. She’s an independent voice who stands up for Michigan folks.”
But in this primary, those outside forces are on her side.
Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders spoke at a recent El-Sayed campaign event in Detroit about how he views this race.
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during a rally in Detroit on July 18 2026.
“With all due respect to Congresswoman Stevens, everyone knows that this is not an election between her and Abdul El-Sayed,” Sanders said. “This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class.”
Stevens doesn’t care for that characterization, but seems to agree that getting money out of politics is a good thing.
“The thing is, is that we have to pass the laws to stop dark money. It is not about whether I say it or not as a point of altruism. This is actually about changing our laws,” Stevens said.
With nearly $70 million spent so far, MIRS news is reporting that this is the second most expensive Democratic Senate primary ever, with a chance to supplant the 2024 Democratic primary in California.
But it’s not just the money, it’s where it is coming from. El-Sayed is running the stronger grassroots campaign, taking money and ground game support from unions and related PACs totaling $850,000.
He’s consistently been in the top 5 fundraisers on the Democratic fundraising platform Act Blue, a site that specializes in small dollar donations. Last quarter, El-Sayed outgained Stevens $4.5 million to $2 million in grassroots support and drew $65,000 more in individual donations than Stevens.
More than $50 million has been spent on Stevens, largely in the form of TV and streaming ads. If you’ve turned on something with a screen in the past month, you’ve likely seen one.
Since her first run for Congress in 2018, Stevens’ ties to the Obama-era auto bailout have been a center point of her campaign – though she’s never earned the endorsement of the United Auto Workers.
What are the demographics of voters?
Micqoua Franklin was one of the many that chatted with Stevens at a Juneteenth event in Detroit, and she said that as a Black voter, Stevens is “for us.”
“Obama had her. That’s Obama girl. Obama girl is my girl. I know she’s gonna do right by us,” Franklin said.
Polling backs up at sentiment too, with Stevens often having a 2 to 1 advantage among Black voters. However, President Obama has not made an endorsement in this race.
At the rally in Detroit that featured Senator Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the demographics of the largely white crowd didn’t match up with that of America’s largest majority-Black city. El-Sayed, who was the health department director for the city and the county writ-large, said he’s put in the work.
Supporters of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed watch as Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks to the crowd in Detroit on July 18, 2026
“I’ve chosen to work in communities like Detroit and Wayne County, majority Black communities, to take on inequities my whole career. People are going to say what they say,” El-Sayed said. “My job is just to focus on defending the folks that I’ve been defending since I got into public service and let my work speak for itself.”
There’s also the matter of the 2024 presidential election where many in the Black community felt betrayed by the Muslim and Arab American communities, resulting in a lingering resentment being heaped upon El-Sayed.
Detroit political fixer Adoplh Mongo is one voter who echoes this sentiment.
“He didn’t support Kamala Harris when she ran for president,” Mongo said. “He was like vote for none of the above that that sort of thing, and then when he did come to support, it was half-ass support.”
However, El-Sayed did endorse Vice President Harris soon after she became the presumptive nominee. Fair or not, it’s a common perception among Black voters and politicos.
Mongo is not a fan of Stevens either… citing her ‘yes’ vote for a resolution honoring slain conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk. Even so, Mongo says Black voters will likely support whomever in the general election.
“Democrats, they the most unloyal people in the world in Detroit. And you know we love them—I’m saying Black folks—when they don’t even love us,” Mongo said.
Campaign ads and Middle Eastern conflict
A Stronger Michigan is one of the dark money groups putting up millions in ads for Stevens. There’s also UDP, or the United Democracy Project. Sounds bland enough, but it’s a front for AIPAC – the American Israel Political Affairs Committee.
Stevens is not Jewish but is an advocate for Israel.
“I will continue to fight for the people of Israel. I will continue to fight for Israel’s existence,” Stevens said. “Israel comes to me in my dreams. I see Israel’s future. And I know that Israel will continue to exist for the Jewish people!”
Congresswoman Haley Stevens speaks to reporters in Farmington, Mich. on July 17, 2026.
Four years ago, when redistricting had Stevens and former Congressman Andy Levin – who is Jewish – battling it out in a primary, AIPAC kicked in millions to help Stevens win.
This time, AIPAC is helping to defeat El-Sayed, a Muslim.
AIPAC wants to keep American money and weapons flowing to Israel. American taxpayer support of Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon has become a political flashpoint.
Last year, the United Nations and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have released reports classifying Israel’s attacks in Gaza as genocide.
El-Sayed—and many of his supporters— believe that too.
Robert Baker, a voter from Westland, considers this issue to be “right at the top of” his list.
“For the last three years, we’ve been seeing nonstop destruction in Gaza. We’ve seen what it was and what it is now, and all the people that are dead, all the people missing, and all the war crimes that are being recorded by IDF soldiers and published,” Baker said. “I feel like Abdul is someone that is going to take charge to make sure that this kind of stuff stops happening in our politics, and that our politics stops getting sold out to AIPAC and other big corporation PACs.”
When Mongo talks about feeling betrayed by Muslim and Arab American voters who did not lend their support to Kamala Harris, US foreign policy toward Israel was the reason. Harris refused to distance herself from President Biden’s position, and it cost her politically.
In a general election, her Pro-Israel stance could cost Stevens too. Data from Carlson’s poll seems to suggest it could have an impact.
“31% of very progressive and liberal voters hold a strongly unfavorable view of Haley Stevens,” Carlson said. “26% of very progressive liberal voters say they’re undecided if Stevens is nominee against Mike Rogers.”
El-Sayed knows he has an uphill battle when it comes to electability and likeability because of his faith. The Michigan Republican Party has already taken to referring to him by his full name: Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed. It’s a scaremongering tactic and why everyone know President Obama’s middle name is Hussein.
El-Sayed brushes off things like that because getting angry about it gives them what they want.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks to rallygoers at an informational picket for public defenders in Detroit on June 17, 2026
“I’ve been Abdul my whole life,” El-Sayed said. “I was Abdul when I got voted captain on my high school football team and wrestling team and lacrosse team by people who weren’t named Abdul, who didn’t have names like mine. The reason they supported me is because my whole life I’ve been explaining myself, and so you get pretty good at explaining yourself, and I’ve learned that when people get past the name, they’re a lot more interested in what you have to say.”
Who will win on August 4?
Stevens is less reliant on charm and more reliant on millions being pumped into TV and streaming ads. Her canvassing efforts have been lacking.
El-Sayed has over 10,000 campaign volunteers. His lawn signs are everywhere – not just in Metro Detroit but outstate as well. Recent rallies drew thousands in a way Stevens has been unable to replicate. But lawn signs don’t vote, and rallies are often packed with volunteers.
Will El-Sayed prove that charisma and lefty populist politics can be palatable in a purple state?
Can Stevens get by on her stay-the-course center left politics and campaign ad ubiquity?
Michigan’s primary election is August 4.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
With Former Michigan Attorney General, Mike Cox, dropping out of the gubernatorial race, how does that shape the Republican primary? This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss the remaining candidates and they hear from a prominent Republican leader on their thoughts on the race.
Then later on Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall stops by to talk about the race and some recent spending proposals.
Hall has said that he would support any Republican candidate for Michigan governor that President Donald Trump endorsed. With Congressman John James having that endorsement, Hall said James would be a great governor. “‘I’m fully behind John James. And, you know, you see, he’s leading in the polls. I’ve been so affective with the house. Imagine if you gave me a governor how much more effective we can be”.
One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.
The sound of music and engines is synonymous with summer in metro Detroit. But that noise, specifically the kind generated by modified cars, has been aggravating some people.
Residents near Woodward have been complaining about cars being too loud, which has prompted legislators to push for a crackdown on motorists. So, what’s in their legislation? And, could it hurt car culture in the Motor City?
Natalie Price is a Democratic state representative. Her district includes Berkley, Huntington Woods and Birmingham. She spoke with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand.
One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers has found a new reason for Michiganders to open their wallets: He wants them to help protect Elon Musk from congressional accountability.
Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and avowed bigot, has gained notoriety for crashing events and meetings with racist and anti-Muslim rants. In Detroit, Lang picked the wrong event to disrupt.
Over the past four months, northern Michigan has experienced a series of extreme weather events.
In March, an ice storm caused tens of thousands of utility customers to lose power. In April, record-breaking precipitation caused rivers and lakes to flood, ripping apart roads. Now, smoke from Canadian and Minnesota wildfires has been creating air quality alerts.
Before the smoke blew to metro Detroit, it hit northern Michigan first, choking that part of the state with a blanket of smoke.
Climate change is affecting everyone, but effects can very depending on the location. What are things like for residents of northern Michigan? And, how are they preparing for future extreme weather events?
Vivian La is a climate solutions reporter for Interlochen Public Radio and Grist. She spoke about the northern Michiganders trying to adapt to climate change — and those who are trying to maintain the status quo — with The Metro’s Sam Corey.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand.
One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.
Tensions are high in Lansing among the Democrats with Governor Whitmer vetoing a series a bills from her own party. This week, on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Services’ Zach Gorchow unpack the 18 months of legal battles that led to this moment.
Then later on, David Meninga, senior vice president for Community Development Programs & Execution at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation stops by. He talks about reviving the transformational brownfield program, a state incentive that ended a few years ago but will soon come back once Governor Whitmer signs bills that passed the Legislature on July 3.
A breakdown of the 18 month saga of these nine Democratic bills that got ultimately got vetoed by Gov. Whitmer
Possible reasons why Gov. Whitmer vetoed these bills.
MEDC economic development plan
In late 2024, as the Democratic trifecta in Lansing was about to end, several high-profile bills passed.
There was legislation prioritized by unions, a key Democratic constituency, to have have local governments, school districts, colleges, universities and other public bodies pay a greater share of their employees’ health insurance premiums. There also was legislation enabling the state’s corrections officers in prisons to gain access to the State Police pension system.
There were bills to allow for a regional property tax to provide funds for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Center, as well as relief from debt garnishment.
Gorchow said after that the bills went no where. “Mysteriously – and this has never been explained – the nine bills containing these policies were never walked over to the governor’s office and formally presented to her for a signing decision. The bills remained somewhere on someone’s desk in the Legislature.”
After 18 months of legal battles, the Michigan Supreme Court decided not to take the case, leaving in place a lower court ruling requiring the House to send the bills to the governor. About five hours later, the House complied with the courts and presented the bills. A couple hours later, the governor’s office sent out a veto letter indicating Whitmer had vetoed all nine bills.
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Many Michiganders feel powerless over their own electrical power. That’s because, despite approved rate hikes, when a storm hits the power can be out for days before utility companies like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are able to restore it.
But while many are disappointed with the performance of Michigan’s utility companies, some regulators point to progress as outage time has decreased by about 23% since 2019.
How are Michigan’s utility companies held accountable for their actions? And, what kinds of improvements are taking root?
Dan Scripps is the chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates DTE Energy. He says the utility’s performance has been improving.
“Last year… DTE for the first time in at least 25 years… was actually in the top quarter of utilities when you consider performance across the whole year.”
Scripps joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what is being done to restore and upgrade the state’s aging grid.
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Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.
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The United Auto Workers on Monday accused a corporate-backed super PAC supporting U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of misleading Michigan voters by using the union’s logo in campaign ads.
Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow suspended her campaign for U.S. Senate three days after earning an endorsement from the Detroit Free Press.
Nancy Kaffer, the editorial page editor of the Freep, said they will not be endorsing another candidate in this race.
“We said what we said, and we just have to sit with it,” Kaffer said.
Now that only Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed remain, Kaffer said it seems likely that former McMorrow voters will split between the candidates and that neither of them will “clean up.”
“If you valued prior elected experience as a McMorrow voter, you might gravitate to Stevens,” Kaffer said. “If you prized pushback against the status quo and a more ambitious agenda around health care or a more firm stance against Israel, you might gravitate to El-Sayed.”
The future of the Democratic primary
Kaffer said that although she has been covering Michigan politics for 26 years, she is unsure about what will happen next.
One thing that muddies the waters, she said, is unreliable polling.
“We’re seeing polls come out from outlets that I’ve never heard of that don’t operate in this state,” Kaffer said.
When she is wary of an unfamiliar poll, Kaffer said she always looks at their methodology. One form of polling Kaffer avoids is those conducted via text, which can be skewed by simply sharing the link to others.
“People are creating narratives based on some really questionable polling, and that’s unfortunate because a big part of campaigning is narrative, and sometimes people are winning because they seem to be winning,” Kaffer said.
Kaffer described Michigan as a “fascinating” and “complex” state and warned against anyone who says they have all the answers.
“This whole thing is really a test case, and anyone who says that they know what’s happening here, they are selling you something,” Kaffer said.
One concern Kaffer said she sees is the growing divide in the Democratic party. She described it as “risky” for the Democratic primary nominees to make strong accusations against one another because they will end up alienating themselves from the other side of their own party.
Although Kaffer is uncertain about the outcome of this race, she has a prediction about its general direction.
“I think it’s going to get even weirder,” Kaffer said.
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After President Donald Trump took the country to war and raised costs, many Republicans are finding it difficult to campaign in this election season.
While the sitting president’s party often performs poorly in midterm elections, the trend seems likely to continue this year.
In general-election polls, Democrat Jocelyn Benson holds the lead. But in politics, anything can happen. Last week, two debates spotlighted the active Republican candidates for governor: Congressman John James, Mike Cox, and Perry Johnson. Who are they, and what do their campaigns reveal about the Republican Party in Michigan?
Andrea Bitely is the founder and principal of Bitely Communications, a Lansing‑based public‑affairs firm. She spoke with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent about the stories the Republican candidates are telling, and why they signal significant changes to the party.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders lost power over theweekend of July Fourth, prompting a conversation about the fragility of the electrical grid in the face of climate change.
Regulators have approved rate hikes to facilitate infrastructure updates, but modernization of the scale needed will take years. Despite the fact that consumers won’t reap the benefits immediately, residents are having to pay for the upgrades now.
Democratic lawmakers have proposed solutions: Fair compensation for power outages, guaranteeing improvement of utility services, ensuring customers aren’t contributing to CEO bonuses and more. But these bills are gaining little to no traction, often deprived of a hearing.
Why can’t politics fix this issue? What does it say about those we’ve elected in the state legislature?
Colin Jackson is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He says Republicans are concerned with rolling back clean energy standards, while Democrats prioritize regulation.
“I think when you talk about lowering energy costs and lowering power costs and utility costs, that is something that you do see both sides of the aisle talking about quite a bit,” says Jackson. “It’s just the approach to it in general varies drastically.”
Jackson joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss why gridlock in Lansing has meant a less stable electrical grid.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand.
One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.
Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s campaign has paid more than $400,000 to a company owned by his brother, who has simultaneously worked as a full-time real estate agent and helped sell luxury condos owned by Huizenga and his wife.
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