MLC Insider Intelligence: July 31, 2026
Michigan Legislative Consultants
Weekly Recap: The House and Senate are on their reduced summer schedule and didn’t hold session or committees this week.
Primary Election Next Week: On Tuesday, Michigan voters will cast their ballots in the state’s primary election. Despite it being a midterm election, it is a major election cycle in Michigan. Due to term limits, all statewide seats are open and up for election, including the top role, governor. Voters will decide the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor next week. The party candidates for attorney general and secretary of state were set at party conventions, along with the candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court. Those races will be on the general election ballot in November.
Michigan Legislature: All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives and 38 seats in the Michigan Senate are up for election. The Democratic Party holds a slim 20-18 majority in the Senate, while the Republican Party holds a 58-52 majority in the House. Both parties are working hard to flip seats to win a majority in one or both chambers.
Federal Races: Longtime United States Senator Gary Peters announced he would not run for reelection, opening that U.S. Senate seat this year. Nationally, this race is one of the most-watched, highest-spending races. It’s viewed as one of the key races that both parties need to secure a majority. All 13 Congressional seats are also up for reelection in Michigan, with a number of those viewed as competitive.
Governor Expands Brownfield Development Program: Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed three bills expanding local abatement and transformational brownfield programs. These bills extend development opportunities across Michigan to help Michiganders build thriving communities and deliver on the governor’s promises made in her 2026 State of the State Address to expand housing opportunity across Michigan.
Key Points: The legislation expands the transformational brownfield program, increases transparency and reporting requirements, and requires approved projects to include annual milestones. It also emphasizes affordable housing projects in residential developments while streamlining the entire redevelopment process. Additionally, the proposal extends the sunsets on the Commercial Redevelopment and Commercial Rehabilitation acts to allow both important programs to continue to operate. Lastly, it incentivizes the refurbishing and development of commercial properties at local discretion.
Importance: “Together, we’re making communities across Michigan even better places to live, work, and invest,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I’m proud to sign these bipartisan bills that will expand our ability to transform abandoned or blighted sites into affordable homes and thriving commercial spaces, all while creating new, good-paying jobs and boosting our economy. These renewed spaces will attract new investments that keep our state competitive. These bills are just one of the many tools we have that make Michigan the best place to invest. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to develop Michigan neighborhoods and open doors for businesses. Let’s keep working together to help people ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
Governor Signs Legislation Reforming Michigan’s Juvenile Justice System: Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills implementing recommendations from the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform led by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist.
Key Points: SB 81, sponsored by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township), expands the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission’s responsibilities to include legal representation for youth who cannot afford an attorney and strengthens protections around a young person’s right to counsel. HB 4396, sponsored by Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), allows certain anonymized juvenile justice information to be shared for research, helping policymakers and researchers better understand diversion programs and youth outcomes. The bills are part of a broader effort by the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration to reform Michigan’s juvenile justice system, with more than $53 million invested to implement the task force’s recommendations.
Importance: These bills are significant because they strengthen legal protections for young people while also giving Michigan better data to evaluate and improve its juvenile justice system. SB 81 is intended to ensure that a youth’s ability to receive quality legal representation does not depend on his or her family’s financial situation. HB 4396 will allow researchers to better evaluate juvenile diversion programs while maintaining confidentiality. Together, the bills focus on fairness, access to counsel, stronger research, and reduced future involvement in the justice system.
Spotlight On Representative Alabas Farhat: Representative Farhat (D-Dearborn) is serving his second term in the Michigan House of Representatives. Before his election to the House, he graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a bachelor’s degree in public health and a master’s in public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy.
District: The 3rd House District includes east and central Dearborn and northwest Detroit.
Committees:
- Rules, minority vice chair
- Appropriations
- Joint Capital Outlay subcommittee
- Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
Next Week: The House and Senate are continuing their shortened summer schedule; neither session nor committees are scheduled for the week. Michigan’s primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 4.
Congratulations to MLC’s administrative coordinator, Nicole Wandell, on her 8thanniversary at MLC!
Leading up to the August 4 primary, we are highlighting key races shaped by voter demographics in the district. Candidate websites and professional backgrounds are listed when available.
12th Congressional District Primary Election Overview: Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is running for a third term, facing two challengers in the primary race. The district has a strong 75% Democratic base; thus, the winner of that primary is all but assured to win in November.
District Overview: The southeast Michigan district includes portions of Oakland and Wayne Counties.
Democratic Candidates:
- Shanelle Jackson – Former state representative and legislative staffer, works in state government affairs for a global company.
- Byron Nolen – Inkster Mayor, attorney.
- Rashida Tlaib – Congresswoman, former state representative
13th Congressional District Primary Election Overview: Congressman Shri Thanedar is running for a third term in the United States House of Representatives. While multiple people filed to challenge him in the Democratic primary race, due to disqualifications, he will only face State Representative Donavan McKinney in August. The district has a strong 77.7% Democratic base, and whichever candidate wins the primary is likely to win the seat in November’s general election.
District Overview: The district includes portions of Wayne County in southeast Michigan.
Democratic Candidates:
- Donavan McKinney – State representative, previously led coalition work with SEIU Healthcare Michigan and was appointed by Governor Whitmer to serve on the Environmental Justice Council.
- Shri Thanedar – Congressman, former state representative, former researcher and entrepreneur.
United States Senate Primary Election Overview: After serving in the U.S. Senate since 2015, Democratic Senator Gary Peters announced his retirement. This open seat is one of the most closely watched nationally, as it is a toss-up that both parties are working hard to win on their path to a majority. As of mid-July, tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this race, and that number will only continue to rise precipitously after the primary election.
Democratic Candidates:
- Abdul El-Sayed – Doctor, works in public health, including roles at the City of Detroit Health Department and the Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services. Mr. El-Sayed has secured the endorsements of many prominent national progressive democrats including Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
- Mallory McMorrow She suspended her campaign, but because of the late decision, she will still appear on the ballot.
- Haley Stevens – Congresswoman, served as Chief of Staff on President Obama’s Auto Rescue Task Force, worked in manufacturing research. Congresswoman Stevens has received the endorsement of former US Senator Debbie Stabenow and retiring Senator Gary Peters.
Republican Candidate:
- Mike Rogers – Former Congressman and special agent in the FBI, Army Veteran, served in the Michigan Senate
Gubernatorial Primary Election Overview: After two terms with a Democratic governor, eyes are on this race to see if Republicans can flip the highest office in the state. Michigan is viewed as a purple state, and party control of the governor’s office has tended to flip back and forth. However, in 2022, Governor Whitmer won reelection by almost 11 percentage points. Additionally, this midterm election year is seen as favoring Democratic Party candidates throughout the country.
In their respective primary races, in polling, Secretary Benson is viewed as the heavy favorite to win in August. Congressman John James has been viewed as the favorite and has received the coveted endorsement of President Donald Trump, providing him an important boost among Republican voters.
Democratic Candidates:
- Jocelyn Benson – Secretary of State, attorney, former dean of Wayne State University Law School.
- Christopher Swanson – Genesee County Sheriff.
Republican Candidates:
- Mike Cox (He suspended his campaign, but because of the late decision, he will still appear on the ballot. He endorsed Congressman John James.)
- John James – Congressman, Veteran, and led his family’s business.
- Perry Johnson – Business owner.
- Aric Nesbitt (He suspended his campaign, but because of the late decision, he will still appear on the ballot. He endorsed Congressman John James.)