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Michigan voters to choose party candidates for crucial Senate race in battleground state

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Michigan voters to choose party candidates for crucial Senate race in battleground state


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan voters could play a major role in choosing who the next president will be — and they could also determine which major party controls Congress in 2025. Next week’s party primaries over an open U.S. Senate seat and two congressional races in the battleground state will set the stage for November.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin has the inside track for her party’s nomination to the Senate against a challenge from a television actor. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and the financial backing of national Republicans in the race for his party’s nomination.

Slotkin and Rogers are looking to fill the seat long held by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who announced in early 2023 she would not seek reelection. Democrats currently maintain a narrow margin in the Senate but are defending far more seats in this year’s elections.

The political drama in Michigan extends further down the ballot as well. Slotkin’s Senate bid puts a House seat up for grabs, one of two in Michigan that are expected to be competitive in November. With Republicans defending a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the outcomes of the Michigan contests could have national implications. And Michigan Republicans themselves are looking to regain control of the state House of Representatives lost in 2022.

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Slotkin, a third-term U.S. representative from Holly, has positioned herself as the party’s front-runner with her fundraising prowess and endorsements. She last reported about $8.7 million in cash on hand in mid-July and announced earlier this year she plans to spend $8 million in advertising in the weeks leading up to the general election.

Her sole primary competitor, actor Hill Harper, best known for his role in the television show “The Good Doctor,” has raised considerably less than her more than $24 million.

Rogers, a former U.S. representative lured out of retirement, has Trump’s endorsement to stave off competitors, as well as the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Other Republican competitors include former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash and physician Dr. Sherry O’Donnell. Businessman Sandy Pensler, who dropped his candidacy and endorsed Rogers at a July 20 rally with Trump, will also be on the ballot because he withdrew too late.

Michigan Republicans haven’t secured a Senate victory in Michigan since 1994.

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Rogers is far behind Slotkin in fundraising, raising more than $5.3 million and sitting on about $2.5 million of cash, according to the latest campaign finance report. But national party groups have reserved millions in ad buys after the primary, ahead of the general election.

The race has mirrored many aspects of the U.S. presidential election. Slotkin has campaigned on protecting and expanding reproductive rights while Rogers has slammed the Biden administration for its handling of border security.

Slotkin, who is Jewish and has extensive foreign policy experience as a former CIA analyst and Defense Department official, has at times faced criticism for not being harder on Israel. Michigan has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation, and support from the community is critical in the state where nearly 100,000 people cast “uncommitted” ballots in February to protest President Joe Biden‘s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ team is attempting to change the White House narrative inherited from Biden and regain support from Arab American leaders in the Detroit area, especially in Dearborn, one of America’s only majority-Muslim cities. Slotkin has thrown her support behind Harris.

National attention will turn to Michigan as some of the most competitive congressional races in November could determine the makeup of the U.S. House as well as the Senate.

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Slotkin’s foray into the Senate race opened her congressional seat in central Michigan. Both party candidates are unchallenged in their primaries for the swing district.

In Michigan’s 8th congressional district encompassing Flint and Saginaw, U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee’s retirement leaves the competitive seat open. The Democrat who has represented the area since 2013 has endorsed first-term state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet for the position. Also in the running are Pamela Pugh, state board of education president, and Matt Collier, the former mayor of Flint.

Paul Junge, a former TV anchor who lost by more than 10 percentage points to Kildee last year, is running on the GOP side. Also running are Mary Draves, a former chemical manufacturing executive at Dow Inc., and Anthony Hudson.

Detroit is likely to be without Black representation in Congress for a second consecutive term after a court ruled that a former state senator and popular candidate did not submit enough valid signatures in the 13th congressional district.

Detroit, which is nearly 80% Black, had maintained some Black representation in Congress for almost 70 years until 2023. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar faces two remaining primary challengers but holds a major cash advantage over Mary Waters, a former state lawmaker who has served on the Detroit City Council since 2021, and attorney Shakira Lynn Hawkins.

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Michigan Republicans are looking to regain control of the state House of Representatives in November, with all 110 seats up for election. Democrats became the majority party in both chambers of the Legislature in 2022, spurred by redistricting and an abortion referendum on the ballot that same year. The Legislature passed numerous laws on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s agenda in the year following.

Early voting, new this year for Michigan thanks to a 2022 referendum, started for the August primary election on Saturday, July 27.

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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.



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Ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore walks into court hand-in-hand with wife ahead of latest hearing

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Ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore walks into court hand-in-hand with wife ahead of latest hearing


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Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was spotted holding hands with his wife, Kelli, inside an Ann Arbor district court on Friday morning.

Moore is the subject of a criminal case after he was arrested shortly after being fired due to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Soon after the firing, he was jailed after allegedly breaking into the staffer’s house and allegedly threatening to kill himself.

Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the woman to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at her home.

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Kelli Moore, left, walks with her husband, former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, and his attorney Ellen Michaels at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors, and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Moore’s wife also appeared in court in January.

Kelli called 911 over concerns the former Michigan coach was “going to hurt himself” after getting “fired from his job.”

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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore appears in the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Moore and the alleged victim had an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” a prosecutor said during an initial hearing shortly after his arrest, but had broken up earlier this week.

The alleged mistress did not have her contract with the university renewed, the school confirmed to Fox News Digital earlier this week.

Moore, if convicted, faces more than half a decade behind bars, which would certainly further damage any hopes he may have of getting back on the sidelines.

Moore went 16-8 as Michigan’s head coach, going 8-5 in year one and then 7-3 this past season. He missed a pair of games due to a suspension from the sign-stealing investigation into the school.

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Sherrone Moore’s booking photo was obtained by Fox News Digital on Dec. 18, 2025. (Washtenaw County Jail)

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Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the team completed a 15-0 season en route to a national championship — Moore was the offensive coordinator of that squad.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter

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No. 8 Michigan State beats Rutgers 91-87 before closing regular season at No. 3 Michigan

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No. 8 Michigan State beats Rutgers 91-87 before closing regular season at No. 3 Michigan


EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping No. 8 Michigan State hold off Rutgers 91-87 on Thursday night.

The Spartans (25-5, 15-4 Big Ten) will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday.

Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

The Scarlet Knights (12-18, 5-14) have slumped toward the bottom of the 18-team conference.

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Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13.

Michigan State trailed by a point at halftime and took control with an 11-0 run. Carr dunked three times in 1:13 and Jordan Scott followed with a slam 32 seconds later.

The Spartans had a comfortable cushion until the final minute, when their 10-point lead was trimmed to two. Fears sealed the win with two free throws with 2.9 seconds left.

Jaxon Kohler scored 15 points and Carson Cooper added 14 in the final home game for both seniors.

Michigan State celebrated its seniors after the game, including Nick Sanders, son of Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions.

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The school honored a military veteran, as it does every game before the national anthem is played, and the latest was Kohler’s 102-year-old great grandfather, Earl “Chuck” Kohler, who served in the Navy and is one of 12 remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Up next

Rutgers: Host Penn State on Sunday.

Michigan State: At No. 3 Michigan on Sunday.

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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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Michigan to distribute marijuana tax revenue: What your city will get

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Michigan to distribute marijuana tax revenue: What your city will get


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  • The Michigan Department of Treasury will distribute tax revenue collected from marijuana sales to municipalities and counties.
  • The government entities will get about $54,000 per retail store or microbusiness, based on nearly $94 million collected.
  • Detroit, once again, will receive the most money of any municipality.

Michigan municipalities and counties that allow recreational marijuana dispensaries are set to receive far less money this year than last in their annual portion of tax revenue collected from cannabis sales.

Sales declined in 2025 for the first time since legal recreational marijuana sales started in December 2019.

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A total of 114 cities, 39 villages, 81 townships, 75 counties and four tribes will receive payments from the Marijuana Regulation Fund, according to a March 3 news release from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency. They will get about $54,000 per retail store or microbusiness, based on nearly $94 million collected.

Last year, each eligible government entity received a little more than $58,000 per business based on a total of nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue.

Detroit, once again, will receive the most money of any municipality. There are 61 active retailer licenses in Detroit, so the city will get nearly $3.3 million in tax revenue.

State law determines how the money is split. The Michigan Transportation Fund gets 35% of the revenue, which is used for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and another 35% goes to the School Aid Fund to be used for K-12 education. The other 30% is split between municipalities, counties and tribes.

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The payments come from revenue collected from the 10% recreational marijuana excise tax. This tax is separate from a new 24% wholesale tax that went into effect Jan. 1. The revenue from that tax will go to fixes for local roads.

Sales at recreational marijuana dispensaries declined by 3% last year to $3.17 billion, down from $3.28 billion in 2024, according to figures from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, leading to the smaller payouts. More government entities also split the revenue compared with last year.

Payments to municipalities could get smaller if sales continue to decline. Recreational marijuana sales in Michigan plunged nearly 16% in January compared with December as heavy snow, cold temperatures and fears of higher prices due to the new 24% wholesale cannabis tax kept consumers at home.

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While recent trends indicate a cooling period, a February report from Headset, a cannabis market intelligence firm, said the market — one of the largest in the country — has shown resilience over the last two years.

Below are the municipalities that received the most tax revenue:

  1. Detroit: $3.3 million
  2. Grand Rapids: $1.5 million
  3. Lansing: $1.4 million
  4. Ann Arbor: $1.2 million
  5. Kalamazoo: $1 million
  6. Flint: $648,000
  7. Traverse City, Hazel Park and Adrian all will receive $594,000.

For a full list of municipalities, counties and tribes that will receive marijuana tax revenue, go to www.michigan.gov/treasury.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com



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