Michigan
Michigan GOP can sweep 2026: Stick to issues, avoid Trump | Opinion
How to register to vote in Michigan: Step-by-step guide
Registering to vote in Michigan is simple and can be done online, by mail, or in person, depending on how close you are to Election Day.
The 2026 midterm election year is upon us. In Michigan, that should be a good year for Republicans.
Why is that, especially when this is a midterm election with Donald Trump in the White House? The last time that happened, in 2018, Democrats won virtually every statewide election in Michigan. And, in the most recent off-year elections, Democrats again won everywhere, from the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia to statewide seats in Georgia, of all places.
Nevertheless, I see three reasons why 2026 is poised to be a good year for Republicans here in Michigan.
A short list of things Democrats didn’t fix
The first is history. Since Republican William Milliken became governor in 1969, the office has flip-flopped back and forth between Democrats and Republicans. From Milliken to Democrat Jim Blanchard, then from the GOP’s John Engler to Democrat Jennifer Granholm, and most recently from Republican Rick Snyder to Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. Thus, Republicans have one of the enduring campaign themes on their side — time for a change.
Issues are the second reason Republicans should do well in 2026, because much needs fixing in Michigan.
Whitmer ran in 2018 on the slogan “fix the damn roads.” It took her seven years to get a package through the Legislature — and then, only with the prodding of the Republican House speaker.
Now, the Democrats say, they are focused on children’s literacy. Now? After holding the governor’s office for eight years? If young girls and boys have not learned how to read, then they are incapable of reading to learn. Without the ability to read, no education is possible.
Incredibly, even the state of Mississippi is doing a better job of teaching their students how to read. This is a damning indictment, and should serve as a clarion call to action. Reading is not a partisan issue.
Then there is the issue of population. Michigan’s population is aging and declining. What is worse, we are losing our best and brightest, the graduates of our great colleges and universities such as the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Wayne State. Barely half of MSU grads stay in Michigan after graduation ‒and that’s according to a study by Michigan State. This is unsustainable.
The solution is jobs. Michigan didn’t even have a tourism campaign in the 1960s, but families flocked here for good jobs and good paychecks at Ford, GM and Chrysler. Bring jobs to Michigan, and the population will take care of itself.
Republicans’ secret weapon: Mike Duggan
The third reason Republicans should do well in 2026 is the independent campaign of former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Duggan has a lot of skills. He is smart, tenacious and he gets things done. Detroit is 1000% better off because of his time as mayor.
What I don’t know is whether Duggan is a safecracker. He’ll need that skill to capture Republican votes this fall.
Why do I say that?
In 2022, 1,852,510 voters cast their ballot for the Republican nominee for secretary of state, Kristina Karamo. Karamo had no name ID, no discernible skill set and no money to run a campaign. She received 1.8 million votes only because she had an “R” next to her name.
If 1.8 million women and men voted for Kristina Karamo, then they’ll vote for anyone with an “R” next to their name for governor. Good luck safecracking that, Mr. Mayor.
To the extent Duggan gets any Republican support, it will come from an incredibly small group of Never-Trump Republicans. Trust me, we could all fit in a cab.
Duggan’s real support will come from voters who call themselves independents, from some Detroiters who supported him as mayor and from a handful of moderate Democrats in southeast Michigan who like what he did for Detroit.
In short, Duggan’s support will almost entirely come right out of the Democratic column.
I do not think Duggan will win. But if he gets 20% or more, then the 41% base Republican vote will put a GOP’er back in the governor’s mansion.
Eyes on the prize, GOP
The one caveat to all this, the one fly in the ointment, is President Donald Trump. In 2022, all the Republican statewide candidates asked for, and received, Trump’s endorsement. Then they proceeded to speak and act like Trump. And all of them lost by hundreds of thousands of votes.
Republicans have a great shot at winning if they focus on the issues, the cares and concerns of hardworking Michiganders who want more jobs, better schools, better roads and a plan to bring down prices.
But the GOP will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory if the party focuses on debating who won the 2020 election (spoiler alert: it was Biden), attacking Venezuela, debunked conspiracy theories, attacking Colombia, calling women ‘Piggy,’ attacking Canada, shooting peaceful protesters and attacking Greenland. If this is what Michigan Republicans support, get ready for another Dunkirk.
Victory is there for the taking, Republicans. Keep your eyes on the issues, and the votes will take care of themselves.
Contributing columnist Rusty Hills is a past chair of the Michigan Republican Party, and was the top adviser to former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.
Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online and in print ― or submit a question for our Opinion Mailbag:
“Defenseman C. Reid will spend next year at college in Michigan” is a sentence that has been said before. The first time, it was about incoming Michigan State star defenseman Chase Reid, a presumptive top-five pick in the upcoming NHL draft. Now, Michigan has secured a defenseman C. Reid of their own — Cam Reid of the Kitchener Rangers.
This is likely to confuse many people, so here are four quick ways to tell them apart. First, they are probably wearing different colors. Second, if one of them says “eh,” that’s Cam, as he’s from Aylmer, Ontario while Chase is from Chesterfield, Michigan. Third, Chase is two inches taller at six-foot-two. Fourth, they don’t look very similar. We will likely gain a fifth way after the draft as Chase is unlikely to fall to the Nashville Predators at tenth, which is who drafted Cam, but we can’t say for sure yet, so we’ll stick with four for now.
Advertisement
Bits aside, Reid committing to Michigan is a big get for the Wolverines — albeit, not an unexpected one. This move was rumored for months, and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that Reid had been planning the move since December. Still, to actually land the commitment is significant for the Wolverines as it bolsters an already-strong blue line for Michigan.
As previously mentioned, Reid is from Aylmer and grew up playing for the Aylmer Flames. He’s six feet tall and 194 pounds and shoots left, much to the chagrin of anyone who wanted another right shot for Michigan (that d-core is almost entirely lefties). Reid is a two-way defenseman who ran the Kitchener Rangers power play and he’s known for his explosive skating. With him and defenseman Henry Mews on the back end, Michigan’s power play would have two stars manning the point.
As captain this season, Reid led the Rangers to the Memorial Cup, where they defeated Landon DuPont and the Everett Silvertips. And there is a very realistic chance that the two of them will be teammates together next year as Michigan is currently leading the pack in recruiting DuPont. He was reportedly on campus this week and will be touring Michigan State as well.
Even if DuPont doesn’t come, the Wolverines’ defensive core is absolutely stacked with Reid and Mews. Reid will be another key chip as Michigan tries again to get over the hump of the Frozen Four.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — June 19th is also Juneteenth, which signifies when the final African-American slaves in the United States learned of their freedom in Galveston, Texas, in 1865.
It became a federal holiday in 2021, and it’s celebrated strongly in West Michigan.
In Kalamazoo, there will be festivities in Bronson Park from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, including food, dancing, and music.
“That’s very typical of how African Americans or people from the African diaspora celebrate,” said Dr. Sherrie Fuller, Director of Education & Training in the Vice President’s Area for Diversity and Inclusion. “It’s always food, it’s always dance, it’s all this music and it’s festive.”
This Juneteenth is a reminder of how far Black Americans have come, but a difficult reminder that there is still a long way to go for equality.
This week, a Black teenager was handcuffed and detained in the Washington Heights neighborhood in Battle Creek.
The boy’s family accused the officer of racial profiling, and the Battle Creek Police chief stands by his actions.
Dr. L.E. Johnson II of the Center for Afrocentric Thought was disgusted by the officer’s actions.
“What type of bias and prejudice are we dealing with here?” Dr. Johnson II said. “What that officer did was put blight on a legacy of a community that has worked hard to make things better for everybody. It was horrible what he did. He should be ashamed. He should be ashamed.”
Western Michigan University hosted a performance from Rootead on Friday afternoon at the multicultural center at the Trimpe Building.
Performers danced and played drums, focusing on their cultural roots.
“I believe people were able to have an opportunity to just kind of reflect on what the purpose of Juneteenth or the celebration of the holiday is all about, so it’s phenomenal,” said Dr. Fuller.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Battle Creek will have a Juneteenth family day at Claude Evans Park on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Friday is Juneteenth. The long-celebrated holiday, which was officially declared a federal holiday in 2021, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free — two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
In Grand Rapids, a parade steps off at noon at the corner of Eastern and Hall. It will head to Dickinson Buffer Park, where an opening ceremony gets underway at 1 p.m. The celebration continues until the evening and will feature food, vendors and activities for kids.
Organizers say it’s important to recognize Juneteenth.
“We cannot properly deal with and accept our future if we don’t understand our past,” said Rhaeven Richardson with West Michigan Jewels of Africa. “So it’s very important for us to come together and bring notoriety for what Juneteenth stands for and how important it is — not just for people of color, but for everyone in this country.”
There are plenty of other Juneteenth events happening in Grand Rapids and around West Michigan. For a full list, click here.
-
Miami, FL7 minutes agoWhere to watch San Francisco Giants vs Miami Marlins: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 20
-
Boston, MA10 minutes agoDuck parades, outdoor drinking, and Gronk in a kilt. Here’s how Friday’s World Cup festivities unfolded. – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO15 minutes agoRockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates
-
Seattle, WA22 minutes agoSuarez’s no-hit try ends on Naylor double in seventh, but Boston still tops Seattle
-
San Diego, CA25 minutes agoNeymar expected to return from right calf injury and play for Brazil in World Cup against Scotland
-
Milwaukee, WI30 minutes agoToday’s Summerfest schedule and picks: Saturday, June 20
-
Atlanta, GA37 minutes agoAtlanta Ballet Returns to the Fox Theatre to Present Cinderella for One Weekend Only This Fall
-
Minneapolis, MN40 minutes agoMERAUDER, JUDGE, ARKANGEL and many more announced for Minneapolis’ Snow and Flurry 2026
