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Michigan House primary: Newly-elected Xiong faces challengers in redrawn 13th District

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Michigan House primary: Newly-elected Xiong faces challengers in redrawn 13th District


Three Democrats and four Republicans are hoping to advance past the Aug. 6 primary for southern Macomb County’s redrawn 13th House District — a seat that for the last three months has been held by Democratic Rep. Mai Xiong, Michigan’s first Hmong American lawmaker.

The district’s boundaries look drastically different than they did last spring, when Xiong won a special election to join the House. Instead of centering on Warren and a slice of Detroit, the district now runs east from Warren, into Roseville and St. Clair Shores. Xiong’s Warren residence remained inside the revamped district.

”There is an education component to our campaign because people are confused about the redistricting process,” said Xiong, a former Macomb County commissioner.

Xiong beat Republican Ronald Singer in the April 16 special election that was needed after Lori Stone of Warren vacated her House seat to become mayor of Warren. Xiong’s victory helped Democrats regain a narrow 56-54 majority in the House.

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Now, the 39-year-old mother of four has drawn a few serious challengers as she seeks a first full two-year term in office.

In the Democratic primary, Richard Steenland, 62, is a former state representative who has served several other roles in both Macomb County and Roseville city government over the years. Patricia Johnson Singleton, 61, is a caregiver for mentally disabled people who is also a substitute teacher and previously served a stint on the Detroit Board of Education.

In the Republican primary, Singer, 73, is running again. He is an electrical and mechanical engineer who has long been involved in GOP politics. Mark Foster, 61, has long owned a real estate firm and been involved in local government in St. Clair Shores. Jerrie Bowl Bilello, 53, is a claims processor making a first run for office. John Sheets is the final GOP candidate who didn’t respond to requests for more information on his candidacy.

More: Michigan House primary: Two Dems challenge incumbent Edwards in redrawn 12th District

Democrats

Xiong arrived at the state Capitol just as the hectic budget process was underway, calling her early weeks “a learning process of how things happen in Lansing.” Nevertheless she said she was proud to work with colleagues to bring back several infrastructure investments for her area, including money to repair Roseville’s sewer and pump station, water system fixes, and money for additional fixes to Mound Road.

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“I’m also really proud of the investments we made in education,” she said, citing the passage of legislation that allows students to attend community college tuition-free. Xiong said she also pushed bills around consumer protection and healthcare, including one that would ensure the state has a robust pipeline of respiratory therapists.

The new lawmaker said she’s consistently heard from constituents about the rising cost of living. “I want to find ways to lower costs for families, to address the cost of living, and put more resources into services like our food pantries, because families are relying on these,” she said.

Steenland previously served stints on Roseville’s City Council and as its city clerk, and in 2020 he was elected to the House, serving one term, before he lost his reelection in 2022. He also worked in Macomb County government over the years, primary in the the courts system. He said he has unfinished business in Lansing.

“I didn’t feel like I was ready to go when I left,” Steenland said. ”I work very well with the other side of the aisle. My job is not to worry about politics, but worry about the people.”

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Steenland said his deep experience in government and the court system helped him navigate the Legislature, and he had multiple pieces of legislation signed into law. One that he was most proud of involved ensuring municipalities had a way to approve raising tax revenue for police and fire services. He was also focused on helping military veterans.

“Experience does matter, and that’s one of the things I’m going for right now,” he said.

Singleton, of Roseville, pledged she would be a strong voice for the mentally disabled community if elected, having served as a caregiver for a decade. She pledged to advocate for improved conditions inside Michigan’s adult foster care homes, and also argued that Michigan’s mental health code is outdated and needs a thorough review.

Education would be another area of focus, said the former school board member. Singleton said the state must look more closely at how to keep more talented teachers from leaving, including by a fully funded teacher pension fund, as well as the ability to hire more paraprofessionals in classrooms.

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Republicans

Singer, an engineer for an automotive supplier who lives in Warren, has long volunteered for Republican campaigns and causes in Michigan, and now says he has the urge to step up himself.

He cited concerns about the Democratic-controlled Legislature’s “out-of-control spending that causes tax increases,” and in his view had made the state less competitive. He said he’s also worried about what he views as an underperforming Michigan public education system.

Singer also said his engineering background would be useful in Lansing, especially as lawmakers consider subsidizing clean energy sources such as wind or solar, or clean transportation options, such as hydrogen-powered cars. “From an engineering perspective, you need to figure out what works and what doesn’t,” he said.

Foster runs The Fosters Real Estate firm in St. Clair Shores, and unsuccessfully ran for a House seat once before. He spent almost 20 years serving in an appointed position on the St. Clair Shores zoning board of appeals.

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He said he’s most passionate about the economy, election integrity issues, and the border, though he acknowledged, “I don’t know how much we’ve have to do with the border” in the Michigan Legislature.

Foster said he’d advocate for only allowing in-person voting on Election Day, eliminating early voting unless voters were approved for certain reasons to vote early. However, in 2022, 2.5 million Michigan voters voted to enshrine nine days of early, in-person voting in the state constitution, meaning the Legislature has little recourse to curtail early voting.

Bowl Bilello said she stepped up to run because the Michigan House needs more “good people,” who “won’t be bribed or blackmailed or threatened.” She said she started to become more politically engaged during the pandemic lockdowns, which she said were wrong, and decided to switch to the Republican Party in 2020.

She pledged to have an open-door policy with constituents, if elected, including by holding small meetings and town halls frequently in the district. Bowl Bilello said she would want to serve on the Education Committee, because the believes some Michigan schools are “indoctrinating our children” by having sexualized books in curriculums and libraries, noting she has protested at local school board meetings in the past.

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“Our future of our country is in the children’s hands,” she said. “It’s very important that we stop this indoctrination that they’re trying to do to these children.” 

lramseth@detroitnews.com

@lramseth



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Yaxel Lendeborg scores 29 points and No. 2 Michigan stays unbeaten with 101-83 win over Maryland

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Yaxel Lendeborg scores 29 points and No. 2 Michigan stays unbeaten with 101-83 win over Maryland


COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 29 points, a career-best nine assists and eight rebounds, and No. 2 Michigan rallied from a nine-point deficit Saturday night to defeat Maryland 101-83.

Aday Mara scored 18 points for the Wolverines (10-0, 2-0 Big Ten), who overcame a halftime deficit for the second time this season and the first since they beat TCU on Nov. 14.

Michigan scored 100 points for the fourth time in five games.

Diggy Coit made eight 3-pointers and scored 31 points for the Terrapins (6-5, 0-2), who lost center Pharrel Payne to a right leg injury late in the first half and forward Solomon Washington to ejection after he picked up his second technical foul early in the second half.

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Coit scored nine of Maryland’s first 10 points and 22 before the break, helping to prevent Michigan from opening a lead larger than six in the first half.

The Terps lost Payne, their leading scorer at 18.7 points a game, with 4:36 remaining before halftime. Yet Maryland stretched its lead from one to 50-45 at the midpoint, then expanded it to 56-47 on Elijah Saunders’ 3.

Washington, who had a first-half technical for celebrating a 3 in front of the Michigan bench, was called for a delay-of-game technical just after Saunders’ basket. His departure left the Terps without their two most experienced and imposing interior players.

Lendeborg took advantage, scoring the next eight points. Mara’s dunk with 14 minutes left made it 64-63 and gave the Wolverines the lead for good.

Elliot Cadeau’s layup with 21.2 seconds remaining got the Wolverines to 100 points for the fifth time this season.

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Up next

Michigan hosts La Salle on Dec. 21.

Maryland visits No. 24 Virginia on Dec. 20.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Aquinas College expands automatic acceptance to 2 more West Michigan high schools

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Aquinas College expands automatic acceptance to 2 more West Michigan high schools


GRAND RAPIDS, MI – After beginning a direct admittance program at one West Michigan high school in November, Aquinas College has now expanded the program to cover more classrooms.

The guaranteed admission program, first implemented for graduates of West Catholic High School with a 2.0 GPA or above, has now been expanded to Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Catholic Central High School.

The partnership will apply to students from all three schools entering college in the fall of 2026.

The direct admission program was described by Aquinas College leaders as offering high school students a “clear path to college success” while also continuing to develop partnerships.

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Aquinas College, a private Catholic liberal arts institution located at 1700 Fulton St. E, was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1886.

The college has enrolled 1,262 students during the 2025-26 academic year, and its new student numbers are up, with 419 new students on campus this fall, up from 311 in 2024-25.

The college’s overall enrollment total is just slightly under the approximately 1,300 students Aquinas recorded across its campus in 2023-24, according to a press release sent out in January 2025.

This year’s partnership announcements do not mark Aquinas’ first direct admittance deal.

The college also has a direct admit bachelor’s in nursing partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy, which allows students to take core curriculum courses at Aquinas and nursing classes from Detroit Mercy faculty.

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On Nov. 14, Aquinas announced its direct admittance deal with West Catholic High School.

The school, located at 1801 Bristol Ave. NW, enrolled just over 500 students as of the 2024-25 school year, according to an online school profile.

West Catholic President and CEO Jill Wierzbicki said the initiative simplifies the college application process and offers students a straightforward path to higher education.

On Nov. 20, Aquinas then announced it had also partnered with Grand Rapids’ Catholic Central High School, 319 Sheldon Blvd SE, which enrolls 567 students and is the oldest co-educational diocesan Catholic high school in the nation.

Brian Matzke, vice president for enrollment management, said there’s “no doubt that Aquinas here has had more graduates from Catholic Central than any other school in our history.”

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On Dec. 10, the college announced another partnership deal with Muskegon Catholic Central High School, 1145 W Laketon Ave., which enrolled just under 300 students in 2023-24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Jerry McDowell, Muskegon Catholic Central president, said both the high school and Aquinas share a “deep commitment to developing the whole student — academically, spiritually, and individually.

“This direct-admit program provides our graduates with an exceptional opportunity to transition confidently into higher education while maintaining the Catholic values that guide their formation,” McDowell said.

Aquinas’ listed price for traditional undergraduate tuition is $41,192, according to senior director of strategic communications Dave DeJonge.

Students are eligible for annual merit scholarships between $15,000-$25,000, depending on their GPA and housing status. Additional scholarships may be available. This applies to all students who are admitted to Aquinas.

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Matzke highlighted the direct admittance program’s easy transition from one West Michigan school to another, with those accepted to Aquinas able to live on campus or commute from home depending on what best fits their needs.

He also said a growing Grand Rapids job market, combined with support from the college’s career center, contributes to a 97% placement rate for graduates.



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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore

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Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore


WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.

The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).

Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.

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The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.

Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”

“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.

Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.

“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.

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Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.

“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.

“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.

Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.

“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”

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“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.

Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.

As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.

–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond

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