(The Center Square) – Michigan voters headed to the polls today to vote in a number of critical races.
Polls will remain open until 8 p.m. across the state. You can view your ballot HERE.
Governor
On the Democratic side of the state’s gubernatorial election, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is preparing to face off against Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
The establishment has rallied around Benson, with polling showing her garnering upward of 72% of Democratic voters’ support.
Benson has been campaigning to rally support from many key groups in Michigan, including union workers, Black communities, and the Muslim community in and around Dearborn.
She has served as secretary of state since her election in 2018. Before that, she worked as an attorney and as dean of Wayne State University Law School. In her role as Michigan’s chief elections official, Benson has been vocal in her opposition to the Trump administration.
The Republican primary race is also likely guaranteed for U.S. Rep. John James who is leading the polls with 45%, as compiled by 270toWin. He is facing off against businessman Perry Johnson, who has received about 27% in polling.
James was first elected to the U.S. House in 2022, after two unsuccessful campaigns for U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020, and for governor in 2022.
A veteran and businessman, James is running on a “Freedom Agenda.” His platform prioritizes ethics reform and transparency, ending fraud and waste, and passing a parents’ bill of rights. He has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Both former state Attorney General Mike Cox and state Sen. Aric Nesbitt will both appear on the primary ballots for Republican voters in the state, despite suspending their campaigns.
U.S. Senate
On the federal front, recent polling shows progressive Abdul El-Sayed could defeat establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat.
Both Democrats want to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
The most-recent polling, compiled by 270toWin, shows El-Sayed leading Stevens 46.8% to 39.4%. That is generally considered outside the margin of error.
Although El-Sayed has rejected the label of democratic socialist, he has aligned himself with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
He has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and several members of the progressive congressional group known as “the Squad,” which includes U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, Rashida Tlaib, D-MI, and Ilhan Omar, D-MN.
While Stevens and El-Sayed share some progressive positions, El-Sayed has embraced a broader slate of left-wing policies, including Medicare for all and a wealth tax on billionaires.
El-Sayed has cast himself as the candidate taking on “AIPAC and the establishment.” The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying organization, has spent millions backing Stevens’ campaign.
Stevens, meanwhile, has dismissed several of his policy proposals as “aspirational.”
Stevens also recently received an endorsement from the current seat holder, Peters, highlighting her continued support from the Democratic Party establishment.
The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face Republican and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers in November in one of the nation's most closely-watched Senate races. Rogers has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
In 2024, Michigan’s U.S. Senate race was decided by less than half a percentage point, with U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin narrowly defeating Rogers. While Democrats are divided, on the Republican side, the party leadership and funding has once again rallied around Rogers.
The outcome of Michigan's Senate race will play a role in determining which party controls the 120th Congress.
Of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, 33 are up for regular election in 2026, along with two special elections. Democrats currently hold 13 of the seats on the ballot, while Republicans hold 22.
U.S. House
There are several U.S. House races in Michigan considered “toss ups,” meaning either party could win the congressional district.
In District 7, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett is seeking to retain his seat in Michigan’s seventh congressional district after flipping the seat in 2024.
Three Democrats are running to challenge Barrett in November. Bridget Brink, former member of the U.S. Foreign Service, Matt Maasdam, a former military aide to Barack Obama, and William Lawrence, a community organizer, are vying for the Democratic nomination.
In District 8, U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat, is seeking a second term. Two Republican candidates are seeking to challenge McDonald Rivet in November: Amir Hassan, who was endorsed by Trump, and mechanical engineer Al Lemmo.
In District 10, both sides of the aisle have a number of candidates facing off in the primary to fill the soon-empty seat of James.
Three Republicans are seeking the voters’ nomination: Michael Bouchard, an Army veteran, Steffan Demetropoulos, a project manager, and Justin Kirk. Bouchard is endorsed by Trump.
On the Democrat side, Eric Chung, Tim Griemel and Christina Hines are facing off.
