The race for Michigan’s open seat in the 19th State House District is a virtual tie according to polling. Democrats have a dynamite young woman running. Laurie Pohutsky is a microbiologist (you know I have a soft spot for scientists!) who has an impressive list of endorsements from progressive and labor organizations as well as notable community leaders. She supports […]

Michigan has long been a bellwether for the national political landscape and, judging by the results of our primary last week, the November general election will be as much of a wave election for Democrats as 2010 was for Republicans. Shri Thanedar’s attempt to purchase a governorship with his personal fortune was resoundingly smacked down by voters. He did only […]

When I met Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Dearborn this weekend, she shared her experience running around Michigan in support of Abdul El-Sayed for Governor. When I asked her which city was her favorite, she said that Flint had a special place in her heart because she visited the area when she took a trip to the Midwest after the 2016 elections. […]

I generally don’t weigh in on Democratic primaries in our state. I learned long ago that it’s better to let primary campaigns play out without me sticking my nose in. The only times I tend to write about them is if a particular campaign is doing something that’s creative and interesting that other Dems can learn from or, more often, […]

I first became interested in Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s run to replace the odious Republican Mike Bishop in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District when I watched her amazing ad. In the ad — and in our subsequent interview with her on The Sit and Spin Room podcast — Slotkin said her impetus for running against the corporate shill Bishop was watching him […]

Back in February, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed accused unnamed “establishment Democrats” of using “birther-like tactics” to derail his primary campaign after Bridge magazine published an article raising questions about his eligibility to run due to residency requirements. I was hard on Dr. El-Sayed writing, “Publishing this article is not a “birther-like” tactic and the accusation is offensive. People […]

In late January, an article at Bridge magazine raised questions about Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s eligibility to run for this position due to his having lived outside of Michigan for a time. Experts on campaign law weighed in and were not in agreement. Some said he’s fine. Others expressed concern that he may not be fine at all and […]

It’s well-known that Republican Mike Bishop is deeply embedded in the pockets of the super-wealthy like skabillionaire Matty Moroun so it’ll likely come as no surprise to you that he disdains unions and is all in for gun manufacturers and their corporate front group, the NRA. In fact, his website used to crow about his pro-gun, anti-union stances. Here’s a […]

Repeat after me: Primaries are good. Primaries are good. Primaries are good… I used to believe that primaries were a waste of precious fundraising dollars and that they unnecessarily bloodied up our general election candidate. But in 2014, after Mark Schauer was defeated in his run for governor after facing no primary opponent, I changed my views. I came to […]

“So much for running a government like a business. You can keep the $100 your tax cut will give me, if you take responsibility for your conduct and reimburse me what your potholes have cost me.” That’s the message Ann Arbor attorney John Minnock had for Gov. Rick Snyder this week, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. He wasn’t […]

I have largely avoided writing about Michigan’s gubernatorial this cycle. We interviewed both Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul El-Sayed on The Sit and Spin Room podcast early on but I have been watching the primary unfold without saying much. Partly because it’s so early and partly because I haven’t been “wowed” by any of the campaigns. However, this week, the campaign […]