Michigan Election Update: Senate Polls & Ballot Proposals
Norris Howard and I are back at the studio breaking down where key Michigan races and statewide ballot proposals stand as we head into the home stretch of the 2026 election season. We took into account your feedback to cover some more topics. What We Cover in This Episode: The U.S. Senate Race: We dive into the latest polling averages from Decision Desk HQ showing Abdul El-Sayed building a lead over Mike Rogers, the fallout from debate no-shows, and what major late-stage endorsements (including Barack Obama and Kamala Harris) mean for voters in Michigan. The Governor's Race: Norris and I look at Jocelyn Benson's strong polling lead over John James and break down where the James campaign lost momentum along the way. Downballot Deep Dive: You asked for more coverage on downballot races, so we're giving proper airtime to the quiet contests for Secretary of State (Garlin Gilchrist vs. Anthony Forlini) and Attorney General (Eli Savit vs. Doug Lloyd). Proposal 1 (Constitutional Convention): Why this question pops up on our ballot automatically, what a "yes" vote actually means for rewriting the state constitution, and why both Norris and I have serious reservations about opening that door. Proposal 2 (Michigan Money Out of Politics): What this ballot initiative would mean for restricting campaign contributions from regulated monopolies like DTE and Consumers Energy, expanding ad disclosures, and the potential legal battles ahead. Support the Podcast! If you appreciate our independent local coverage, consider supporting Daily Detroit on Patreon! Members get access to our subscriber-only Discord, exclusive newsletter updates, sticker packs, and more.
