Michigan
Kildee’s open Michigan seat a ‘prime pickup’ opportunity for GOP: CLF polling memo
EXCLUSIVE — In a new polling memo, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC closely aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), views Michigan’s 8th Congressional District seat, which recently became open after Rep. Dan Kildee’s (D-MI) retirement announcement, as a pickup opportunity for House Republicans.
A Kildee has represented the seat since 1977. First, it was former Democratic Rep. Dale Kildee, who had the seat from 1977 until 2013, when he retired. Then, his nephew, Dan Kildee, took it over — but he intends to retire at the end of this Congress.
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With Kildee’s retirement, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter moved the seat from a “Lean Democrat” to a “Toss Up,” and new polling from CLF obtained by the Washington Examiner shows that to be the case.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner for president, are tied 44% to 44% despite the district not having gone for Republicans in the presidential election in recent history, according to the polling.
In the generic ballot, Democrats hold a slight advantage at 45% to 46%, but a Republican candidate leads among independents by 8%.
When the group polled local Republicans who have been elected in the district, they led a possible Democratic rival 43% to 40%. CLF declined to name the specific officials it polled.
Biden’s approval rating is also low in the district, according to the poll, which showed 41% of voters approve of the job he is doing and 52% disapprove.
“Voters say that President Biden’s performance makes them less likely to support Democrats down-ballot by a margin of 10%, with 52% of independents saying they are less likely and only 21% saying they are more likely,” the memo reads.
Because of all these factors, CLF views the seat as a “prime pickup opportunity for Republicans.”
However, Democrats still view this seat as one they can win and believe they are in a prime position to hold on to it next cycle, especially since they have held the Flint-area seat for over 45 years.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Democrats have a deep bench in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District and a real record of accomplishments to run on,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Aidan Johnson said. “The GOP on the other hand has a perennial loser who can’t make it out of a Republican primary for the state legislature and a California carpetbagger who recently moved to the district to run for office. We are confident that this seat will remain in Democratic hands next November.”
So far, declared candidates include Democrat Pamela Pugh, president of the Michigan State Board of Education; Republican Martin Blank, a surgeon and Army veteran; and Republican Paul Junge, a former TV news anchor and prosecutor who lost to Kildee in 2022 by 10 points.
Michigan
2025 four-star OL Michael Carroll includes Michigan in top 4
We’ve seen the Michigan Wolverines prioritize smash football and target talented offensive line in Sherrone Moore’s first off-season as head coach, and a top target for Michigan just included the reigning National Champs in his top 4.
On Saturday afternoon, On3 National recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett reported that Michigan was in the top 4 for four-star 2025 offensive linemen Michael Carroll, along with Penn State, Georgia and Alabama.
On the 247 Composite, Carroll, a native of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, is ranked just outside the top 200 in the 2025 class, along with 11th among interior offensive linemen and eighth among recruits from his home state.
Carroll made an impromptu visit to Michigan this past Fall the day after the Michigan State win, and he got the chance to meet head coach Sherrone Moore and offensive line coach Grant Newsome in a recent spring visit. If the four-star linemen were to commit to Michigan, he’d be the second O-Line commit in the class, joining four-star in-state OL Avery Gach.
Carroll’s interest in Michigan is not a surprise, considering the Wolverines have garnered a reputation as being a place for young offensive linemen to develop into NFL players, all while dominating in the trenches en route to a ton of success over the last three seasons.
“They were completely dominant,” Carroll said about Michigan after that visit. “They were extremely explosive and powerful out of their stances. When I was at Michigan’s camp, that’s one thing coach Moore taught me. Seeing them do it was special. I could see myself fitting in there as a guard.”
Carroll said an interview with The Wolverine last month ($) that Michigan is “up there with Alabama, Georgia and a couple of others right now.” There’s not a clear timeline for when he’ll make a decision, but we’ll keep you updated as his recruitment continues.
Michigan
Morning 4: Air quality alert issued for 14 Michigan counties — and other news
Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.
Air quality alert issued for 14 Michigan counties as wildfire smoke returns
An air quality alert has been issued for 14 Michigan counties, including in Metro Detroit, as Canadian wildfire smoke returns to the area this weekend.
Learn more here.
Spongy moth caterpillars are still a nuisance in Michigan: What to know
Though their population has been on the decline, spongy moth caterpillars continue to be a nuisance.
Spongy moth caterpillars cluster on oaks and other deciduous trees and eat their leaves, leaving the trees vulnerable to disease and other pests. During large outbreaks of these caterpillars, debris and the BB-sized pellets of frass (droppings) they leave behind can be a nuisance.
Read the report here.
Why Michigan has designated two bovine tuberculosis testing areas
Bovine tuberculosis (TB) was detected in wild deer in some Michigan counties, causing officials to designate two bovine TB testing areas.
Bovine TB was detected in wild deer in Benzie, Crawford, and Otsego counties, during the 2023 season. Because of that, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has designated two testing areas.
Read more here.
The steps Metro Detroit homeowners should take to combat high-end house thefts
Crews of thieves are continuing to target high-end homes across Metro Detroit, stealing valuable items while homeowners aren’t there.
Authorities in Oakland County say the teams of thieves are actually coming from Chile, and are targeting houses throughout the United States. Here in Michigan, high-end homes have been targeted in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, and the issue continues.
See the lists here.
Weather forecast: Air quality alert, sunshine, and warm temps to start the weekend across Metro Detroit
Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Michigan
Michigan budget plan includes unexpected $235M in extra income
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) – It was a boring day for those coming up with Michigan’s next budget – which is exactly how the state treasurer likes it.
It’s “good for forecasting revenues and finalizing a budget,” said Rachael Eubanks.
Eubanks, along with the government’s other top bean counters gathered Friday to work on finalizing the annual budget for Michigan in the upcoming fiscal year.
“Tax collections are strong. Corporate income tax, income tax withholding, and interest earnings are strong. Economic growth and higher wages are leading to higher income tax collections,” said Eubanks during a Zoom meeting.
She said individual spending was up and wage increases were outpacing inflation – both good indicators of a healthy economy.
“Our labor force is at its strongest since 2001,” said Eubanks.
The good news doesn’t stop there. Since last January, the state coffers have grown by $235 million dollars, which state officials were not expecting.
That’s for lawmakers to spend as they compose the new state budget. The process has included criticism from Republicans, specifically from Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) who accused Democrats of “squandering the state’s $9 billion budget surplus on pet projects and corporate handouts in 2023.”
He also claimed the governor had raided the teacher pension fund to pay for her education budget.
While rare, it’s not outside of the possibility the state budget director would take a political shot at any lawmaker. But on Friday, Jen Flood did just that.
“The minority leader has a new found support for teachers and retirees it seems because his votes earlier on in his career cut funding for schools and taxpayers,” she said.
Despite concerns about the financial hit that electric vehicles could impose upon U.S. automakers, the state treasurer didn’t believe it would impact Michigan revenue streams for now.
“I don’t think that’s a troublesome point yet,” Eubanks said. “We’ve seen really strong profit-sharing happen with the major car makers and while there is that potential risk on the horizon, its not something se can see today.
Lawmakers will try to have a finished state budget by the end of June.
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