Get to know the 2026 Michigan Governor candidates, their backgrounds, and current roles. Stay...
Get to know the 2026 Michigan U.S. Senate candidates, their backgrounds, and current roles. Stay informed with our comprehensive, nonpartisan guide. Recent Update: May 11, 2026
This guide is updated regularly. Sources include official FEC filings, candidate websites, and news coverage.
Table of Contents
Recent Update: May 11, 2026
Or Continue to the Online Navigation Below 👇
About the U.S. Senate
- Introduction & Where Things Stand
- Current U.S. Senators for Michigan
- How Long is the Term and Term Limits
- What Does a U.S. Senator Do?
- How Does the U.S. Senate Work?
The 119th U.S. Senate: The Record
The Candidates
What Are the Candidates Talking About?
Democratic Candidates
- Abdul El-Sayed, Principal, Executive Producer, Podcast Host
- Rachel Howard, Former Research Health Science Specialist
- Haley Stevens, House Representative
- Mallory McMorrow, State Senator
Republican Candidates
- Mike Rogers, Former House Representative
- Genevieve Peters Scott
- Frederick Heurtebise, Welding Engineer
Other Candidates
- Valerie Lee Willis, CEO (I)
- T.J. Stephens, CEO (No Affiliation)
Dropped Out
- Joe Tate, House Representative
More Insights
About the U.S. Senate Elections
Introduction & Where Things Stand
Gary Peters has represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate since 2015. He's not running in 2026, and the race to replace him is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country. The primary is August 4th. The general election is November 3rd.
The basics
- Four candidates are raising serious money — three Democrats, one Republican
- The outcome will shape federal policy on healthcare, trade, manufacturing, and Michigan's relationship with the current administration
- Whoever wins serves a six-year term with no term limits
Where things stand right now
- The Democratic primary is highly competitive — Stevens, McMorrow, and El-Sayed are all within $1.2 million of each other in fundraising, and recent polling has shown a tight race.
- McMorrow leads in small-dollar grassroots donations but is dealing with criticism over resurfaced tweets about life in Michigan and nostalgia for California.
- El-Sayed has received support from prominent progressive figures, including Bernie Sanders.
- Several reports have indicated Stevens has support from Senate Democratic leadership, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, while pro-Israel groups aligned with AIPAC are expected to spend significantly in the race.
- On the Republican side, Rogers currently leads the Republican field financially and organizationally, with $4.2 million cash on hand and a $45 million outside spending commitment behind him.
- The political environment has shifted — tariffs, rising gas prices, and an unpopular military conflict in Iran are creating headwinds for Republicans in Michigan.
Outside money hasn't fully kicked in yet — expect the race to get louder as August approaches.
Current Michigan U.S. Senators
Gary Peters (D) — Not Seeking Re-Election in 2026
 |
|
Gary's Path to the Senate
- 1995–2002: Michigan State Senate — Michigan's 14th District
- 2003–2008: Commissioner of the Michigan Lottery
- 2009–2013: U.S. House of Representatives — Michigan's 9th District
- 2013–2015: U.S. House of Representatives — Michigan's 14th District
- 2015–present: U.S. Senate, seat vacated by Carl Levin (D)
Elissa Slotkin (D)
 |
|
Path to the Senate
- Former CIA analyst who served three tours in Iraq alongside the U.S. military
- Worked in national security roles at the Pentagon and White House under Presidents Bush and Obama
- 2019–2023: U.S. House of Representatives — Michigan's 8th District
- 2023–2025: U.S. House of Representatives — Michigan's 7th District
- 2025–present: U.S. Senate, seat vacated by Debbie Stabenow
How Long is the Term and Term Limits
- Term: 6 Years
- Term Limits: None
- Next Election: November 2026
What Does a U.S. Senator Do?
Michigan's U.S. Senators represent the entire state in Washington — not a single district, not a region, but all 10 million Michigan residents. The Senate is one of two chambers of Congress, and while it shares lawmaking power with the House of Representatives, it has several unique responsibilities that make it one of the most powerful bodies in American government.
Quick Facts
- 2 senators per state, 100 total
- One-third of the body is elected every two years
- $174,000 + benefits
- Meets in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC
Make laws.
Any U.S. citizen can propose a law, but only members of Congress can formally introduce legislation. In the Senate, a bill is assigned to a subcommittee, then a full committee, before being reported to the Senate floor. The majority party leadership decides when — and whether — a bill gets a vote. This process means that a Senator's relationships, party standing, and legislative priorities matter enormously in determining what actually becomes law.
Declare war.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to formally declare war, with both the House and Senate participating — not the President. While modern military actions have often relied on other authorizations, this remains one of the Senate's most consequential responsibilities and a check on executive power.
Control the federal budget.
The Senate raises and appropriates public money and oversees how it's spent. Every federal dollar that flows into Michigan — for roads, schools, healthcare, housing, and more — is authorized through the congressional budget process. Senators who sit on key appropriations committees have significant influence over how those funds are allocated.
Confirm presidential appointments.
The Senate has the sole authority to confirm — or reject — the President's nominees for federal judges, Cabinet members, ambassadors, and other senior positions. This includes lifetime appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court, making Senate votes on nominations some of the most consequential in American political life.
Ratify treaties.
Any international agreement negotiated by the executive branch requires a two-thirds Senate vote to become binding law. This gives the Senate a direct role in shaping U.S. foreign policy and international relationships.
Conduct impeachment trials.
When the House votes to impeach a federal official — including the President — the Senate serves as the jury. Senators hear the case, deliberate, and vote on whether to convict and remove the official from office. It is one of the Senate's most solemn constitutional duties.
Provide oversight and conduct investigations.
Senate committees have broad authority to investigate the executive branch, hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, and shine a public light on how federal agencies and programs are operating. This oversight function is a critical check on executive power — and a platform for Michigan's senators to elevate issues affecting the state.
The U.S. Senate seat is one of only two Michigan holds in the upper chamber of Congress. Whoever fills it will cast votes on issues that range from the price of prescription drugs to the future of the auto industry to the makeup of the federal courts — for a six-year term with no term limits.
How the U.S. Senate Works
The U.S. Senate is one of two chambers of Congress. It has 100 members — two per state — and operates under a set of rules and leadership structures that shape what gets done, what gets blocked, and how Michigan's senators can make an impact.
Leadership
The Senate is led by the Majority Leader, who controls the floor schedule and decides what legislation gets a vote. The Minority Leader heads the opposing party. Leadership also includes party whips, who help count votes and keep members aligned. The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and can cast a tie-breaking vote, but otherwise has a limited role in day-to-day operations.
| Majority Leader | Minority Leader |
|---|---|
|
|
|
View the full U.S. Senate Leadership Roster >> www.senate.gov/senators/leadership.htm
Committees
Most of the Senate's real work happens in committees — smaller groups of senators who draft, debate, and advance legislation in specific policy areas before it ever reaches a full Senate vote. There are 16 standing committees in the current Senate, covering everything from agriculture to armed services to the judiciary.
Each committee has a chair (currently held by the majority party, Republicans) who sets the agenda and decides which bills get hearings. Getting a seat on a powerful committee — especially Appropriations, which controls federal funding — is one of the most effective ways a senator can deliver for their state.
View all the U.S. Senate Committees >> https://www.senate.gov/committees
Michigan's current senators sit on committees that directly affect the state:
Gary Peters (D)
Not seeking re-election in 2026
- Appropriations
- Armed Services
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Elissa Slotkin (D)
Up for re-election in 2030
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Armed Services
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Veterans' Affairs
Subcommittees
Most committees are further divided into subcommittees focused on specific topics. For example, the Armed Services Committee has subcommittees on Cybersecurity, Personnel, Strategic Forces, and more. Slotkin sits on the Airland, Cybersecurity, and Emerging Threats subcommittees — areas directly relevant to Michigan's defense manufacturing sector.
Caucuses and Commissions
Beyond formal committees, senators participate in informal caucuses — voluntary groups organized around shared interests, like the Senate Auto Caucus (important for Michigan), the Rural Caucus, or the Bipartisan Senate Ukraine Caucus. These groups don't have legislative power, but they shape priorities, coordinate messaging, and build coalitions across party lines.
The 60-Vote Rule
One of the most important things to understand about the Senate is that most major legislation requires 60 votes to move forward — not a simple majority of 51. This threshold, known as cloture, is what's needed to end debate and force a vote. With 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats/Independents in the current Senate, significant legislation almost always requires some bipartisan support. It's why the ability to negotiate and build coalitions matters so much in a Senate race.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
- A senator introduces a bill, which is assigned to the relevant committee
- The committee holds hearings, debates, and votes on whether to advance it
- If it passes committee, Senate leadership decides whether to bring it to the floor
- The full Senate debates and votes — 60 votes to end debate, 51 to pass
- If it passes, it goes to the House, where the process repeats
- If both chambers pass identical versions, it goes to the President to sign or veto
- A presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both chambers
119th U.S. Senate: The Record
How Much Legislation Actually Passes
By the numbers — 2025 (full year):
- 3,562 bills introduced in the Senate
- 24 became law
- That's less than 1%
By the numbers — 2026 (January–March):
- 698 bills introduced in the Senate
- 5 became law
- Still less than 1%
In 2025, the Senate introduced 3,562 bills. Twenty-four became law. That means for every 100 bills a senator introduces, fewer than one actually makes it through. 2026 is on the same track.
Not every bill is a major policy overhaul. Some commemorate a national awareness week. Others amend a single line of existing law or reauthorize a program that's been around for decades. They all come in the same way — numbered in sequence, referred to a committee, and then most of them wait — sometimes forever.
Why do so few pass? A bill has to clear a lot of hurdles — committee approval, a floor vote, the House, and the President's signature. And in the Senate, any senator can hold up a vote indefinitely through a procedural move called a filibuster. To override it, you need 60 votes — not just a simple majority of 51.
This is why experience matters when you're choosing a senator. Anyone can introduce a bill. Moving one all the way to becoming law takes relationships, strategy, and political muscle. When candidates tell you what they'll fight for, it's fair to ask: do they know how to actually get it done?
Legislation on the Docket
The Senate has introduced thousands of bills in the 119th Congress. Most will never become law — fewer than 1% do. What you'll find below are the ones that actually moved: signed into law, passed a chamber, failed a critical vote, or are actively being debated. Some of the most significant policy changes of this term didn't come through standalone legislation — they were buried inside the budget bill. We've pulled those out and placed them in the issue sections where they belong, so you can see the full picture.
Use the list below to jump directly to the issues that matter most to you.
The data is sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
- Budget & Economy
- Healthcare
- Immigration
- Education
- Housing
- Children & Families
- Elections & Voting Rights
- Environment & Great Lakes
- Veterans
- Agriculture and Farm
- Technology and Finance
- Infrastructure
- National Security & Defense
- Also on the Table
1. Budget & Economy
The budget is where the biggest decisions of the 119th Congress were made — and where the biggest fights happened. One massive bill reshaped taxes and spending for years to come. Everything else has been a struggle to simply keep the government's lights on.
The One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1)
Status: Signed into Law | July 2025: The defining legislation of this Congress. Passed the Senate 51–50 with VP Vance breaking the tie. Every Democrat voted no. Because it used the budget reconciliation process, it only needed 51 votes — no bipartisan support required.
What it does on taxes:
- Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent — they had been set to expire in 2025
- Eliminates federal taxes on tips and overtime pay
- Increases the child tax credit
- Creates a new deduction for car loan interest on American-made vehicles
- Raises the SALT deduction cap — a concession to Republicans from high-tax states
- Raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion
What it cuts to pay for it:
- Medicaid: Adds work requirements for able-bodied adults 18–64; tightens eligibility verification; reduces federal matching rates. The CBO estimated millions would lose coverage nationally.
- SNAP (food stamps): Reduces benefits and shifts more costs to states
- Student loans: Limits income-driven repayment and forgiveness options
- Clean energy: Phases out EV tax credits, solar and wind incentives from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act
During the Senate vote-a-rama — the marathon amendment process — Democrats offered dozens of amendments to protect Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, school meals, and childcare funding. Every single one was rejected on party-line votes of approximately 47–51.
Michigan impact: Michigan has approximately 2.8 million Medicaid enrollees and 1.3 million SNAP recipients. Changes to benefits and eligibility tightening will directly affect Michigan families. The elimination of the EV tax credit hits Michigan's auto industry transition. The "no tax on tips" provision benefits Michigan's large service and hospitality workforce.
Keeping the Government Funded
FY2025 Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 1968)
- Status: Signed into Law | March 2025
- Funded the federal government through September 30, 2025. Prevented a shutdown left over from the previous Congress. Flat funding — no increases — which hit programs already under inflationary pressure.
FY2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 7148)
- Status: Signed into Law | February 3, 2026
- After months of failed cloture votes — the Senate voted more than eight times on various continuing resolution versions from September through November 2025 — Congress finally passed a full-year funding bill. Passed the Senate 71–29, a notably bipartisan vote after months of gridlock. Signed more than four months into FY2026.
DHS Funding Lapse
- Status: Unresolved As of May 2026
- DHS, which runs ICE, Border Patrol, and immigration services, was given only a short-term continuing resolution inside the February bill. When that expired, DHS went into a funding lapse. The Senate tabled the House's standalone DHS funding bill in April. The House passed a new bill called the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act (H.R. 8029) on March 26, 2026 —218 to 206. The Senate has not acted on it. Congress has held hearings on the impacts of the DHS shutdown. As of May 2026, DHS remains unfunded on a full-year basis.
FY2026 Budget Resolution (S. Con. Res. 33)
- Status: Passed Senate & House | April 2026
- After months of funding chaos, Congress finally passed the budget blueprint in the Senate 50–48 on April 22, 2026 and the House 215–211 on April 29, 2026. A budget resolution doesn't become law and the President doesn't sign it — but it sets the spending and revenue targets Congress is supposed to follow when writing actual appropriations bills. This one covers FY2026 through FY2035. Its passage is a prerequisite for any future reconciliation legislation.
Tariffs: The Senate Tried, The Courts Delivered
Setting tariffs is constitutionally Congress's job — written directly into Article I. But over decades, Congress passed laws allowing the President to impose tariffs in national emergencies. Trump used those laws broadly, imposing sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, China, and nearly every other country. The courts have been systematically striking them down.
The Senate tried to fight back legislatively first. Under the same laws Trump used, Congress can pass resolutions terminating tariffs — but those still need to clear both chambers and survive a presidential veto. The Senate passed two. The House didn't act on either. Then the courts stepped in.
Global Tariff Termination (S.J. Res. 49)
- Status: Failed | April 2025
- The first Senate attempt to roll back broad global tariffs. Failed before it even cleared the Senate — tied 49–49, with VP Vance casting the deciding vote to kill it.
Global Tariff Termination (S.J. Res. 88)
- Status: Passed Senate, Did Not Become Law | October 2025
- Passed 51–47 with several Republicans joining all Democrats. The House did not take it up. Even if it had passed both chambers, the President could have vetoed it.
Brazil Tariff Termination (S.J. Res. 81)
- Status: Passed Senate, Did Not Become Law | October 2025
- Passed 52–48. Same outcome — the House did not act.
Supreme Court Strikes Down EEPA Tariffs
- Status: Decided | February 20, 2026
-
In Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that IEEPA — the emergency powers law Trump used to impose sweeping global tariffs — does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The Court began with Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, and imposts. Tariffs, the Court stressed, have long been understood as a branch of the taxing power, and the framers gave Congress alone access to the pockets of the people. All IEEPA-based tariffs — including the "Liberation Day" reciprocal tariffs and the fentanyl tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China — were terminated February 24, 2026. An estimated $166 billion in tariffs had been collected under the now-invalidated authority. Refund questions were sent back to lower courts.
Trump Pivots to Section 122 — Also Struck Down
- Status: Decided | May 7, 2026
- Within hours of the Supreme Court ruling, Trump imposed new 10% — then 15% — tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a different law meant to address balance-of-payments deficits for up to 150 days. On May 7, 2026, the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down those Section 122 tariffs as well. This was a lower federal court — not the Supreme Court — and the ruling is expected to be appealed to the Federal Circuit and potentially back to the Supreme Court. The Section 122 tariffs also faced a hard deadline — they automatically expire after 150 days unless Congress votes to extend them — putting Congress in the position of having to vote on tariffs just months before the 2026 midterm elections. Steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232 were not affected by either ruling and remain in place.
Michigan impact: The U.S. average effective tariff rate climbed to nearly 17% — the highest since the early 1930s — with research finding that nearly 90% of those costs were borne by American firms and consumers. Michigan's auto industry, which depends heavily on cross-border supply chains with Canada and Mexico, was directly in the line of fire. The legal fight is not over — but the constitutional principle that tariffs belong to Congress, not the President, has now been affirmed twice.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
2. Healthcare
Healthcare decisions in the 119th Congress have landed in two places: inside the One Big Beautiful Bill — where the biggest coverage changes happened — and in a series of hearings that signal where the Senate's attention is focused. The biggest healthcare story of this term isn't a standalone healthcare bill. It's a budget bill.
Medicaid Cuts (H.R. 1 — One Big Beautiful Bill)
- Status: Signed into Law | July 2025
- The reconciliation bill added work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid enrollees aged 18–64, tightened eligibility verification, and reduced federal matching rates for certain state Medicaid expansions. The CBO estimated millions would lose coverage nationally. This is fully detailed in the Budget section — but it belongs here too because it is the largest single change to healthcare coverage in this Congress.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has approximately 2.8 million Medicaid enrollees. Coverage losses will be felt most in rural areas where documentation requirements are harder to meet.
ACA Subsidy Protection (S.J. Res. 84)
- Status: Failed | January 2026
- Democrats attempted to use the Congressional Review Act to block a rule rolling back Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies and protections. Failed 47–52 — the ACA rule rollback stood.
Opioid Treatment Reauthorization (H.R. 2483)
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- Reauthorizes federal programs for opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. One of the few genuinely bipartisan healthcare bills of the term.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has been among the hardest-hit states in the opioid crisis. This reauthorization maintains federal treatment funding statewide.
Prescription Drug Pricing
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- During the budget resolution vote-a-rama, Senator Sanders offered an amendment to reduce prescription drug prices by more than 50% by adopting Most Favored Nation pricing, so Americans would pay no more for drugs than Europeans or Canadians. Failed 49–49. A separate Senate HELP Committee hearing in April 2026 examined how competition could lower drug prices, but no legislation has advanced.
Chemical Abortion Drugs
- Status: Hearing Held | January 2026 T
- The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing examining medication abortion drugs — specifically mifepristone, the FDA-approved drug used in the majority of abortions in the U.S. Witnesses included a state attorney general arguing for restrictions and a physician arguing for continued access. No legislation introduced yet — but the hearing signals this is an active area of Senate interest.
- Michigan impact: Michigan voters passed Prop 3 in 2022, protecting abortion rights at the state level. Federal action on medication abortion would affect Michigan regardless of state law.
RFK Jr. & HHS Priorities
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- Secretary RFK Jr. testified before both the Senate Finance Committee and Senate HELP Committee on the FY2027 HHS budget request — two separate hearings on the same day. The hearings covered Medicaid, public health priorities, vaccine policy, and NIH funding. RFK Jr.'s confirmation was narrow (approximately 52–48), and his leadership of HHS remains one of the most watched and debated of any cabinet appointment.
- Michigan impact: HHS administers Medicaid, the NIH, CDC, FDA, and public health infrastructure — all of which directly affect Michigan residents and Michigan's healthcare system.
FDA Bureaucracy
- Status: Hearing Held | February 2026
- The Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing examining whether FDA bureaucracy is slowing access to treatments for rare diseases. Witnesses included patient advocates and researchers. No legislation resulted but reflects ongoing tension around drug approval speed vs. safety standards.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
3. Immigration
Immigration has been the most active legislative topic of the 119th Congress — more floor time, more hearings, and more signed legislation than almost any other issue. The Senate has moved on enforcement and detention, while broader policy questions around citizenship remain unresolved.
Detention & Criminal Enforcement
Laken Riley Act (S. 5)
- Status: Signed into Law | January 2025
- Requires mandatory federal detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft, burglary, or crimes causing death or serious injury — before conviction. Named for a Georgia nursing student killed by a Venezuelan national in 2024. First bill signed by President Trump in the 119th Congress. Passed 64–35; twelve Democrats crossed party lines to vote yes.
One Big Beautiful Bill — Border & Enforcement Provisions (H.R. 1)
- Status: Signed into Law | July 2025
- The reconciliation bill included more than $170 billion for border enforcement, deportation operations, expanded ICE detention capacity, and additional immigration judges. It also increased fees for legal immigration processes, including green cards. Every Democrat voted no. Passed 51–50 with VP Vance breaking the tie.
Who Gets to Stay
Removal of Automatic Work Authorization Extension (S.J. Res. 99)
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- Would have overturned a rule that automatically extends work permits for immigrants with pending renewal applications. Failed 47–50. The rule allows immigrants who filed renewals on time to keep working legally while waiting for processing — eliminating it would have caused immediate job losses for legal immigrants caught in the backlog.
Oversight Hearing — ICE, CBP, and USCIS
- Status: Hearing Held | February 2026
- The Senate Homeland Security Committee brought in the heads of ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to testify on operations and enforcement priorities. No legislation resulted, but the hearing put enforcement leadership on the record.
Citizenship
Birthright Citizenship
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution held two hearings examining whether children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants should automatically receive citizenship — a right currently guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. The first hearing focused specifically on birthright citizenship; the second broadened to federalism, sanctuary cities, and the rule of law. Legal scholars testified on both sides. No bill has been introduced yet, and any change would likely require a constitutional amendment.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
4. Education
Education in the 119th Congress has been shaped most by what's already been signed — student loan cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill — and by a wave of committee activity on school curriculum, higher education access, and workforce preparation. No major standalone education bill has passed yet, but the direction is clear.
Student Loan Changes (H.R. 1 — One Big Beautiful Bill)
- Status: Signed into Law | July 2025
- The biggest education policy change of this Congress happened inside the budget bill, not a standalone education bill. The Big Beautiful Bill consolidated student loan repayment plans and significantly limited income-driven repayment and forgiveness options. Borrowers who were on track for loan forgiveness under existing plans may no longer qualify or may face longer repayment timelines. Full details in the Budget section.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has significant student loan debt across its university and community college population. The changes to income-driven repayment directly affect Michigan graduates — particularly those in lower-wage fields like education, social work, and public service who relied on forgiveness pathways.
Legacy Admissions Ban (S. 880)
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Would prohibit colleges and universities receiving federal student assistance from giving preferential treatment in admissions to legacy applicants or donors' children. Raised in the Senate HELP Committee member day. No vote yet — but signals bipartisan interest in college admissions fairness following the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling.
Home School Graduate Recognition (S. 3747)
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Amends the Higher Education Act to formally recognize students who completed secondary education through home schooling as high school graduates for federal purposes. Reported from the Senate HELP Committee.
Standard Financial Aid Offer Form (S. 1558)
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Would require colleges to use a standardized financial aid offer form so students can accurately compare aid packages across schools. A transparency measure — in Senate HELP Committee.
Charter Schools — FLEX Act (H.R. 7082)
- Status: In Committee | January 2026
- The Fostering Learning and Excellence in Charter Schools Act passed out of the House Education and Workforce Committee in January 2026. Would expand and reform the federal charter school grant program. Needs Senate action.
Parental Consent in Schools (H.R. 2616)
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Would require public elementary and middle schools receiving federal funds to obtain parental consent before changing a student's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on school forms, or providing sex-based accommodations. Reported from the House Judiciary Committee. Senate has not acted.
Foreign Influence in Higher Education
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing examining foreign influence in higher education — focused on transparency around foreign funding of universities. No legislation yet.
Linda McMahon — FY2027 Education Budget
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the FY2027 Education Department budget request. The hearing put the administration's education priorities on the record, including school choice expansion and reduced federal involvement in local education decisions.
Michigan impact: Michigan has one of the strongest public university systems in the country — University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wayne State, and 15 public universities total — plus 28 community colleges. Federal education policy on accreditation, financial aid, and student loans directly affects hundreds of thousands of Michigan students.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
5. Housing
Housing affordability has been a rare area of bipartisan urgency in the 119th Congress. The Senate passed a major housing supply bill with one of the most lopsided bipartisan votes of the entire term. It still needs to clear the House.
Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644)
- Status: Passed Senate | March 12, 2026
- Passed the Senate 89–10 — one of the most bipartisan votes of the 119th Congress. The bill aims to increase the supply of housing in America through a package of reforms targeting zoning, development incentives, and federal land use. The Senate debated it for several days and adopted a bipartisan amendment requiring the Comptroller General to study workforce housing, housing for elderly and disabled Americans, and the proximity of housing to Superfund sites. The bill now needs House action. The House has been working on its own housing legislation — the Affordable HOMES Act (H.R. 5184) and the SHOWER Act (H.R. 4593) — but no House-Senate reconciliation has happened yet.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has faced a significant housing shortage, particularly for workforce housing and affordable units in both urban and rural communities. Federal action on housing supply is directly relevant to Michigan renters, first-time buyers, and lower-income households.
Housing Affordability Hearing
- Status: Hearing Held | January 2026
- The House Oversight Committee held a hearing titled "Housing Affordability: Saving the American Dream" — examining what's driving costs and what federal policy options exist. No legislation resulted directly from the hearing.
Hedge Fund Home Ownership
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- During the budget resolution vote-a-rama, Senator Merkley offered an amendment to establish a reserve fund addressing the impact of hedge fund ownership of single-family homes on rent prices. Failed 46–52. The issue of institutional investors buying up single-family homes has been a growing concern — this was an attempt to put Congress on record addressing it. It didn't succeed.
- Michigan impact: Institutional investors have been active in Michigan housing markets, particularly in metro Detroit and mid-sized cities, driving up prices and reducing inventory for individual buyers.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
6. Children & Families
The Senate has introduced hundreds of bills touching on social policy this term. Most never make it to a vote. What you see below are the ones that actually moved — passed into law, failed a critical vote, or are actively being debated. Some of the biggest social policy changes this term happened inside larger bills like the One Big Beautiful Bill (see Budget section) — not in standalone legislation.
Abortion & Pregnancy
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (S. 6)
- Status: Failed | January 2025
- Would have required medical care for infants born alive after a failed abortion. Didn't reach the 60 votes needed to advance. Significant for Michigan, given voters passed Prop 3 protecting abortion rights in 2022.
FACE Act (Existing federal law)
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- Federal law protects access to abortion clinics. A hearing framed it as potentially dangerous, questioning whether it's been used as a weapon against protesters. No Senate vote yet.
Pregnant Student's Fairness Act (S. 3627)
- Status: Failed January 2026
- Would have required colleges to inform pregnant students of their rights, accommodations, and resources. The Senate attempted to bring it to the floor — the cloture vote to proceed failed 47–45 on January 27, 2026. Sixty votes were needed to advance. A companion House bill (H.R. 6359) passed the House 217–211 and is now sitting in the Senate on the Legislative Calendar.
Child Care
Child Care Fraud Prevention Package (H.R. 7720–7726)
-
- Status: Passed House Committee | April 2026
- A package of eight bills targeting fraud in the Child Care and Development Block Grant program cleared the House Education and Workforce Committee and has been reported to the full House. These bills:
- Require states to account for fraudulent child care payments
- Debar providers who committed fraud from receiving future federal funds
- Mandate triennial reviews of state performance
- Withhold funds from noncompliant states
- Important context: This package is about fraud prevention — not expanding access or affordability. It doesn't create new child care slots, increase funding, or help working parents afford care. No Senate vote yet.
Child Care Worker Wages (S. 846)
-
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Would strengthen programs to increase the supply of quality child care by enhancing wages for child care workers. In the Senate HELP Committee — no vote yet.
Child Care Funding Amendment
-
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- During the budget resolution vote-a-rama, Senator Alsobrooks offered an amendment to establish a reserve fund to increase child care funding for families. Failed 47–51.
- Michigan impact: Michigan faces a significant child care shortage. The state has lost thousands of child care providers since the pandemic. Federal action on affordability and access has not materialized in this Congress — what has moved is fraud prevention, which addresses a real issue but doesn't help parents find or afford care.
Paid Leave
Balancing Careers and Care
-
- Status: Hearing Held | February 2026
- The House Education subcommittee held a hearing examining innovative approaches to paid leave — covering both private sector and public policy options. No legislation has advanced.
- Michigan impact: Michigan does not have a state-paid family leave law. Federal paid leave legislation has stalled in Congress for years. No change in the 119th Congress so far.
Child Safety
CHILD Act (S. 1528)
-
- Status: Passed Senate | April 2026
- Businesses and organizations working with children or vulnerable populations can now run federal background checks on contractors, not just employees.
COPPA 2.0 (S. 836)
-
- Status: In Committee | January 2026
- The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act update was reported out of the Senate Commerce Committee in January 2026 — meaning it cleared committee and is eligible for a Senate floor vote. Strengthens protections for the online collection, use, and disclosure of children's and teens' personal information. Has not yet come to a full Senate vote.
Kids Internet Digital Safety Act (H.R. 7757)
-
- Status: In Committee | March 2026
- Cleared the House Energy & Commerce Committee in a March 2026 markup alongside the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 6291) and the App Store Accountability Act (H.R. 3149). These bills represent a package of child online safety measures moving through the House — Senate action pending.
Michigan impact: Michigan parents, educators, and advocates have been active on children's online safety. These bills would impose new requirements on tech platforms regarding how they handle data and content for minors.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
7. Elections & Voting Rights
Voting rights legislation in the 119th Congress has been defined less by what's passed and more by how Republicans are trying to pass it — attaching voting restrictions to unrelated bills to avoid the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Nothing has been signed into law yet, but the fight is very much alive.
The SAVE Act — Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote
SAVE Act via Veterans Bill (S. 1383)
- Status: Pending | Active through April 2026
- This is the most significant voting legislation in the 119th Congress — and the way it's moving through the Senate tells its own story. The SAVE Act (Secure and Accurate Federal Elections Act) requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It's a major policy change — currently, voters sign a form attesting to citizenship under penalty of perjury, but don't have to provide documentation. The SAVE Act would require actual documents. Rather than introducing it as a standalone bill — where it would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster — Republicans attached it to S. 1383, a veterans bill establishing an advisory committee. The House passed the veterans bill with the SAVE Act provisions added. The Senate has been debating the House version for weeks, with Republicans also attempting to add a photo ID requirement as an additional amendment. Learn more about the SAVE Act →
- As of the most recent digests (May 2026), the Senate has not yet voted to finalize it. The debate has been grinding and contentious.
- Michigan impact: Michigan voters passed Proposal 2 in 2022, which expanded voting access — including automatic voter registration, same-day registration, and nine days of early voting. The SAVE Act's proof-of-citizenship requirement would create a new documentation hurdle that could disenfranchise eligible voters who lack easy access to passports or birth certificates, including seniors, lower-income voters, and rural residents. Michigan's existing voter registration system would need significant changes to comply.
Photo Voter ID Requirement
- Status: Pending | March–April 2026
- Senator Husted offered an amendment to the SAVE Act vehicle requiring photo identification to vote in federal elections. It has been pending alongside the broader SAVE Act debate. No final vote yet.
Voter ID & Registration — Budget Vote-A-Rama
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- During the budget resolution vote-a-rama, Senator Kennedy offered an amendment to establish voter ID and registration identification requirements for federal elections through the reconciliation process. Failed 48–50 — the amendment also ran into a procedural point of order.
"Make Elections Great Again" Hearing
- Status: Hearing Held | February 2026
- The House Administration Committee held a hearing on restoring "trust and integrity" in federal elections. Testimony came from state election officials making the case for stricter ID requirements and registration rules.
- Michigan impact: A Michigan state representative — Ann Bollin — testified at this hearing, placing Michigan's election laws directly in the national spotlight.
Women & Girls in Athletics
- Status: Pending | March–April 2026
- Senator Tuberville and Senator Blackburn offered an amendment to protect women and girls in athletics — targeting transgender athlete participation — also attached to the SAVE Act veterans bill vehicle. This amendment has been pending alongside the other SAVE Act amendments. No final vote yet.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has active collegiate and high school athletics programs. Federal legislation on transgender athlete participation would affect Michigan schools and universities regardless of state policy.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
8. Environment & Great Lakes
The environmental story of the 119th Congress runs in two directions at once — rollbacks of clean energy and climate regulations on one side, and bipartisan protection of specific natural resources on the other. For Michigan, the Great Lakes are the headline.
The Great Lakes
Great Lakes Basin Monitoring Reauthorization (S. 2878)
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- Reauthorizes federal funding to monitor, assess, and research the Great Lakes Basin. Passed with bipartisan support. Michigan has more Great Lakes coastline than any other state — this reauthorization maintains federal investment in water quality monitoring critical for drinking water, fishing, and tourism.
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (S. 528)
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on restoration efforts in the Great Lakes region, including reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative — the primary federal program funding cleanup of pollution, invasive species control, and habitat restoration. No vote yet, but the hearing signals active attention to the program's future. Michigan impact: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has directed hundreds of millions of dollars into Michigan over its lifetime. Its reauthorization is one of the most Michigan-specific legislative questions pending in the Senate.
Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act (S. 216)
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- Improves the administration of the Marine Debris Foundation and NOAA's marine debris program. Directly relevant to Great Lakes debris and water quality.
Clean Energy Rollbacks
California EV Emission Waivers (PL 119-15, 16, 17)
- Status: Signed into Law | June 2025
- Three CRA resolutions revoked California's authority to set stricter vehicle emission standards than federal minimums, including the Advanced Clean Cars II rules that would have required increasing percentages of zero-emission vehicle sales through 2035. Because automakers can't practically build different vehicles for different states, California's standards had effectively been the national standard. Revoking them removes the regulatory pressure driving EV investment nationwide.
- Michigan impact: This is one of the most consequential environmental actions for Michigan. Ford, GM, and Stellantis had built major EV investment plans around California's standards. The reversal reduces transition pressure — which cuts both ways depending on whether Michigan workers are in EV or traditional manufacturing.
One Big Beautiful Bill — Energy Provisions (H.R. 1)
- Status: Signed into Law | July 2025
- The reconciliation bill phased out clean energy tax credits from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act — including the $7,500 consumer EV credit, credits for used EVs, and incentives for solar and wind energy. It also expanded fossil fuel leasing on federal lands and offshore, and extended nuclear energy production credits.
Fossil Fuel Expansion
National Petroleum Reserve — Alaska (S.J. Res. 80)
- Status: Passed Senate | October 2025
- Passed 52–45. Overturned Biden-era land management rules that had restricted oil drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Needed House action to become law — status of House action not confirmed in available records.
Colorado Regional Haze Plan Disapproval (S.J. Res. 139)
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- Would have overturned an EPA rule on air quality standards for Colorado. Failed 46–52 — the EPA rule stayed in place. One of the few environmental CRA attempts that did not succeed.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
9. Veterans
Veterans legislation has been one of the few consistently bipartisan areas of the 119th Congress. Several bills were signed into law with broad support. A large package of VA reform legislation is now working through committee, with more action expected before the term ends.
Michigan impact throughout: Michigan has approximately 570,000 veterans. All federal VA legislation directly affects this community.
Benefits & Compensation
VA Disability Compensation Rate Increase
- Status: Signed into Law | November 2025
- Increased VA disability compensation rates effective December 1, 2025. Directly benefits Michigan veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Medal of Honor Pension Increase
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- Increased pension payments for Medal of Honor recipients.
VA Fiduciary Reform
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- Strengthens repayment requirements when VA-appointed fiduciaries misuse veterans' benefits. Closes an accountability gap that had allowed misuse to go uncorrected.
Military Aircrew Cancer Study
- Status: Signed into Law | August 2025
- Directs the National Academies to study cancer prevalence among active duty military aircrew. Relevant to Michigan's Air National Guard community and veterans who served in aviation roles.
Housing
VA Housing Income Calculation Reform (H.R. 224)
- Status: Signed into Law | January 2026
- Requires that service-connected disability compensation be excluded when calculating income eligibility for housing programs. Previously, VA disability payments could push veterans over income thresholds and make them ineligible for housing assistance — this fix ensures disability pay doesn't count against them.
End Veteran Homelessness Act (H.R. 1957)
- Status: In Committee | 2026
- Would strengthen federal programs targeting veteran homelessness. In committee — no floor vote yet.
Every Veteran Housed Act (H.R. 3869)
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- Heard in a major VA reform package hearing in March 2026. No vote yet.
Kitchen Table Issues — VA Home Loan Program
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a hearing specifically on lowering costs for veteran families through the VA home loan program — examining interest rates, fees, and access.
Healthcare & Wellbeing
Dental Care for Veterans Act (H.R. 10)
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- Would expand VA dental care coverage for veterans. Currently, VA dental benefits are very limited — this bill would significantly broaden access. Heard in the major March 2026 VA reform package. No vote yet.
Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act (H.R. 4876)
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- Would require the VA to provide reproductive healthcare services to veterans and their dependents. Heard in the March 2026 VA reform package hearing alongside more than 20 other bills. No Senate vote yet.
VA Reform Package
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee held a sweeping hearing in March 2026 on more than 20 VA reform bills covering accountability, contracting, electronic health records modernization, employment services, toxic exposure advisory committees, and management reform. These bills are in early stages — most have not yet come to a floor vote in either chamber.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
10. Agriculture & the Farm Bill
Agriculture rarely makes headlines but it drives Michigan's rural economy — and the biggest agriculture legislation in five years just passed the House and is headed to the Senate where Michigan's Senator Slotkin sits on the Agriculture Committee.
Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567)
- Status: Passed House, Awaiting Senate | April 30, 2026
- The House passed the new farm bill 224–200 on April 30, 2026. This is the five-year legislation that governs federal agricultural programs through 2031 — everything from crop insurance and commodity supports to SNAP, conservation programs, and rural development. It now heads to the Senate.
Key provisions in the House-passed version:
- SNAP restrictions: Tightens what food items can be purchased with benefits. An amendment adding hot rotisserie chicken as an eligible SNAP item passed 384–35 — one of the few bipartisan moments in the bill.
- Foreign land ownership: Prohibits the purchase of U.S. agricultural land by foreign adversaries and state sponsors of terrorism.
- Farm equipment: Removes emissions mandates on farm equipment, reducing costs for farmers.
- Agricultural research: Includes provisions for sustainable agriculture innovation and weather resilience programs.
- Honey standards: Establishes federal testing standards for honey products.
Michigan impact: Michigan is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the country — ranking in the top ten nationally for production of more than 300 commodities including cherries, blueberries, apples, soybeans, corn, dairy, and dry beans. The farm bill directly affects Michigan farmers through crop insurance, commodity programs, and conservation funding. The SNAP provisions affect the more than 1.3 million Michigan residents who rely on food assistance.
Senator Slotkin sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee's Commodities, Derivatives, Risk Management, and Trade subcommittee — putting her directly in the room when the Senate takes up its version of the farm bill. This is one of the clearest opportunities for Michigan's junior senator to shape legislation that affects her state.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
11. Technology & Finance
Technology and finance have been active in the 119th Congress — not through sweeping regulation, but through targeted legislation on specific issues: crypto, children's online safety, and AI. The Senate's biggest tech accomplishment was bipartisan. Its most active area right now is protecting kids online.
Cryptocurrency & Digital Finance
GENIUS Act (S. 1582)
- Status: Signed into Law | 2025
- The first federal framework for regulating payment stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to the dollar like USDC. Passed the Senate 68–30, one of the most bipartisan votes of the term. Requires stablecoin issuers to hold 1:1 reserves in high-quality liquid assets, register with federal or state regulators, and comply with anti-money laundering rules. Reflects growing congressional consensus that crypto needs federal guardrails.
- Michigan impact: Michigan residents who use digital payment platforms or stablecoins gain new federal consumer protections under this law.
Online Scams, Crypto Fraud & Digital Extortion
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- The Senate Homeland Security Committee held a joint hearing examining how transnational criminal networks are targeting Americans through online scams, crypto fraud, and digital extortion. No legislation yet — but signals this is an active area of concern.
CFPB Financial Rules Rollbacks
- Status: Signed into Law | May 2025
- Two regulations were overturned via the Congressional Review Act. The overdraft fee cap — which would have limited fees to $5 at large banks — was eliminated. The rule extending federal oversight to digital payment apps like Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal was also reversed. Both directly affect Michigan consumers.
- Michigan impact: Michigan parents, educators, and advocates have been active on children's online safety. These bills would impose new requirements on tech platforms regarding how they handle data and content for minors.
Artificial Intelligence
AI — Multiple Hearings, No Legislation Yet
- Status: Hearings Held | January–April 2026
- Congress has been actively examining AI through hearings but has not passed any AI-specific legislation in the 119th Congress. Hearings include: "Building an AI-Ready America" (January 2026), "Winning the AI Arms Race Against the Chinese Communist Party" (January 2026), "Advancing America's AI Action Plan" (January 2026), and "Robots Made in America: Advancing U.S. Leadership in Manufacturing and Automation" (April 2026). The lack of legislation reflects genuine disagreement about how — and whether — to regulate AI at the federal level.
- Michigan impact: Michigan's manufacturing sector is at the center of the robotics and automation debate. How Congress approaches AI regulation will directly affect Michigan factory floors and the workforce transition already underway.
Surveillance
FISA Section 702 Extension (S. 4344)
- Status: In Committee | April 2026
- Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — the authority that allows the U.S. government to collect communications of foreign targets, including communications with Americans — was being considered for a three-year extension as of late April 2026. Senate began consideration April 30. Section 702 has been one of the most contested surveillance authorities in Congress for years, with civil liberties advocates pushing for reform and national security advocates pushing for clean reauthorization.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
12. Infrastructure
Infrastructure has been more active than it might appear. The Senate passed a major pipeline safety bill in April, broadband deployment legislation is moving through the House, and a high-profile aviation disaster prompted sweeping FAA reform hearings. For Michigan specifically — a state famous for bad roads, rural broadband gaps, and a controversial pipeline running through the Straits of Mackinac — the activity matters.
Pipeline SAFETY Act (S. 2975)
- Status: Passed Senate | April 29, 2026
- Passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Amends federal transportation law to enhance the safety of pipeline transportation — covering inspection requirements, safety standards, and enforcement. Reported from committee in February 2026 after a March hearing on pipeline safety authorization. Needs House action to become law.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has significant pipeline infrastructure, including the highly controversial Enbridge Line 5 — the pipeline running through the Straits of Mackinac. Federal pipeline safety standards directly govern how pipelines like Line 5 are inspected, maintained, and regulated. This bill matters for Michigan's water and environmental safety.
Broadband Funding Map Modernization (S. 2585)
- Status: In Committee | February 2026
- Reported from the Senate Commerce Committee. Would modernize the federal broadband funding map to promote more efficient use of federal broadband deployment dollars — fixing data accuracy problems that have led to funds going to areas already served while underserved areas are missed.
- Michigan impact: Rural Michigan has significant broadband gaps. Accurate mapping is the first step to getting federal deployment dollars to the communities that actually need them.
American Broadband Deployment Act (H.R. 2289)
- Status: In Committee | April 2026
- Cleared the House Rules Committee in April 2026. Would streamline broadband deployment on federal lands and right-of-way. Needs full House floor vote, then Senate action.
Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (H.R. 4690)
- Status: In Committee | April 2026
- Also cleared the House Rules Committee in April 2026 alongside the broadband bill. Addresses federal infrastructure permitting and reliability. Details of Senate consideration pending.
DCA Midair Collision — Aviation Safety
- Status: Hearing Held | February 2026
- The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on the NTSB final report on the Reagan National Airport (DCA) midair collision. The hearing prompted broader discussion about FAA staffing, air traffic control safety, and airport capacity. The Senate also reported an FAA safety management system review bill (S. 3700) from committee.
- Michigan impact: Detroit Metro (DTW) is a major hub and Bishop International (FNT) in Flint serves the mid-Michigan region. FAA safety and staffing decisions affect both airports and Michigan air travelers.
Brownfields Redevelopment
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on legislative proposals to unlock the potential of brownfield sites — former industrial or commercial properties contaminated by prior use. No legislation passed yet.
- Michigan impact: Michigan has hundreds of brownfield sites — legacy of its industrial manufacturing history. Federal brownfields policy directly affects redevelopment opportunities in Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, and other Michigan communities.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
13. National Security & Defense
The defining national security story of the 119th Congress isn't a bill — it's a constitutional fight over who has the authority to take the country to war. That question has played out repeatedly in votes over U.S. military engagement with Iran. Meanwhile, the annual defense bill passed on time and FY2027 military planning is already underway.
The Annual Defense Bill
National Defense Authorization Act FY2026 (S. 1071)
- Status: Signed into Law | December 2025
- The NDAA authorizes military activities, defense spending, pay, and construction for the fiscal year. It passes every year — this one was bipartisan as usual, though negotiations were contentious. Authorizes defense programs relevant to Michigan's military installations, Air National Guard, and defense manufacturers including General Dynamics and L3Harris.
Iran: Who Has the Authority to Go to War?
This is the constitutional question the 119th Congress has been wrestling with in real time. The U.S. has been engaged in military hostilities with Iran — and Congress never formally authorized it. Multiple attempts to invoke the War Powers Resolution and force a withdrawal have failed.
Iran War Powers — Senate (S.J. Res. 114)
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- Would have directed the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran not authorized by Congress. Failed 46–51 in the Senate.
Iran War Powers — Senate (S.J. Res. 184)
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- A second Senate attempt to invoke War Powers and remove U.S. forces from Iran hostilities. The motion to even bring it to the floor failed 47–50.
Iran War Powers — House (H. Con. Res. 38)
- Status: Failed | March 2026
- The House attempted to direct the President to remove forces from unauthorized hostilities in Iran. Failed 212–219.
Iran War Powers — House (H. Con. Res. 40)
- Status: Failed | April 2026
- A second House attempt. Failed by a single vote: 213–214.
The pattern: bipartisan concern about unauthorized military engagement, but not enough votes in either chamber to force a pullback. Every attempt has failed narrowly — the issue is not going away.
Michigan impact: Michigan has active military personnel, Air National Guard units, and a significant veteran and military family community. Unauthorized military engagement is not an abstract constitutional debate — it has direct consequences for who gets deployed.
FY2027 Defense Buildup
Senate Armed Services Committee hearings for the FY2027 NDAA are already underway, covering:
- U.S. Special Operations Command and Cyber Command (April 2026)
- U.S. Northern Command and Southern Command — which oversees U.S. homeland defense and operations in the Western Hemisphere (March 2026)
- Nuclear forces and atomic energy defense (April 2026)
These hearings set the stage for next year's defense bill and reflect the Pentagon's budget priorities heading into an election year.
Nuclear Energy & Defense
- Status: Hearing Held | March 2026
- The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee examined the implementation of Trump's May 2025 nuclear energy executive orders, covering both civilian nuclear power expansion and defense-related nuclear activities.
Intelligence
- Closed Briefings — Ongoing
- The Senate and House Intelligence Committees received multiple closed briefings throughout 2025 and 2026 on classified matters, including one on Operation Epic Fury (March 2026) and regular worldwide threat assessments. By their nature these don't produce public records — but their frequency signals active intelligence activity.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
14. Also on the Table
Sexual Misconduct
TAKE IT DOWN Act (S. 7)
- Status: Signed into Law | 2025
- Makes it a federal crime to publish non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes. Bipartisan. First federal law of its kind.
DEFIANCE Act (S. 1837)
- Status: Passed Senate | January 2026
- Strengthens the right to sue in civil court over non-consensual intimate digital forgeries. Paired with the TAKE IT DOWN Act — one covers criminal penalties, this one covers civil remedies.
Senate Ethics and Accountability
Senators Banned from Prediction Market Betting (S. Res. 708)
- Status: Passed Senate | April 2026
- Senators have inside knowledge the public doesn't. This closes that loophole. Bipartisan.
CLEAR Path Act (S. 2132)
- Status: Passed Senate | April 2026
- Tightens ethics rules on conflicts of interest when government officials leave for private sector jobs.
Guns & the Second Amendment
Second Amendment Hearing
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing examining the Second Amendment — featuring testimony from Representative Thomas Massie, Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights, and a Georgetown Law constitutional scholar. The framing was firmly in support of gun rights, not gun restrictions. No legislation resulted.
Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act (H.R. 2189)
- Status: Passed House | February 2026
- Passed the House 233–185. Modernizes federal firearms laws to account for advancements in technology and less-than-lethal weapons — primarily addressing weapons like tasers and other de-escalation tools used by law enforcement. This is not a gun control bill — it updates definitions and standards for less-lethal weapons. Needs Senate action.
The bottom line on guns: No gun control legislation has been introduced, voted on, or come close to passing in the 119th Congress. No universal background checks, no red flag laws, no assault weapons legislation. The Senate's activity on firearms has been entirely in the direction of gun rights affirmation.
Michigan impact: Michigan has a strong hunting culture and significant gun ownership. Michigan also passed Prop 2 in 2022 requiring background checks for all firearm purchases. Federal inaction leaves the state operating under its own rules.
Labor & Workforce
Gig Economy
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- The House Small Business Committee held a hearing on independent work and the gig economy — examining classification, benefits, and entrepreneurship for gig workers. No legislation yet.
Robots & Automation
- Status: Hearing Held | April 2026
- The House Science subcommittee held a hearing on U.S. leadership in robotics and automation manufacturing. No legislation yet but signals congressional attention to workforce displacement from automation.
Michigan impact: Michigan's manufacturing workforce is directly affected by automation decisions. The lack of federal action on either gig worker protections or automation workforce transitions leaves Michigan workers navigating these shifts without a federal safety net.
Data sourced from the Congressional Record Daily Digest, the official daily log of Senate and House activity. To explore bills, track their status, or read the full legislation, visit the U.S. Senate Bills, Acts & Laws page.
[Back to Legislation on the Docket]
Candidates
What Are the Candidates for U.S. Senate Talking About?
Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat is one of the most competitive in the country in 2026, with candidates drawing sharp contrasts on a range of issues.
Healthcare
Healthcare is the sharpest dividing line in the Democratic primary.
- El-Sayed is calling for Medicare for All and has made abolishing medical debt a centerpiece
- Stevens and McMorrow favor a public option — a meaningful difference that reflects a national debate about how far Democrats should go
- Rogers voted against the ACA while in Congress and has aligned with the Trump administration's approach to federal healthcare
The Economy and Cost of Living
Affordability is a central theme on both sides — but the solutions look very different.
- Democrats are focused on lowering costs for working families: healthcare, prescription drugs, housing, and wages
- Rogers is emphasizing tax cuts, smaller government, and reducing regulatory burdens as the path to growth
The Role of the Federal Government
A broader debate runs through this race about Washington's reach.
- Democratic candidates have focused on protecting Medicaid, voting rights, and federal programs from cuts
- Rogers has aligned closely with the current administration's priorities on federal spending and the size of government
Trade and the Auto Industry
Michigan's economy is deeply tied to manufacturing — making this uniquely high-stakes for state voters.
- Tariffs, supply chain stability, and the future of EV policy are all in play
- Candidates across both parties are being pressed on where they stand — and the answers matter here more than almost anywhere else in the country
Immigration and Federal Enforcement
Immigration has become a Michigan-specific flashpoint.
- The ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center are calling for a congressional investigation into the North Lake ICE detention center in Baldwin, amid reports of a hunger strike
- Democratic candidates have raised alarms about federal enforcement tactics and detention conditions
- Rogers has previously called for National Guard deployment to Detroit and has aligned with the Trump administration's approach to immigration priorities
Democracy and Election Integrity
Voting rights and election administration are live issues in this race.
- At the Detroit NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that voting rights are under active threat
- Democratic candidates are focused on protecting ballot access
- Republican candidates have emphasized election security concerns
- The SAVE Act — a federal proposal requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote — is pending in the Senate and is a live issue for all candidates. Learn more: The SAVE Act: What It Is, Why It Was Proposed, and What It Could Change
Israel and U.S. Foreign Policy
U.S. policy toward Israel has become one of the sharpest dividing lines in the Democratic primary — particularly in Michigan, which has a large Arab American population.
- Stevens has described herself as a "proud pro-Israel Democrat" and has received backing from AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC; she was booed at the 2026 Michigan Democratic Party Convention over her stance on Israel. AIPAC has sent joint fundraising emails pairing Stevens with a Republican Senate candidate while explicitly targeting El-Sayed — a move that has drawn attention in a primary already divided over Israel policy.
- Both McMorrow and El-Sayed have pledged to refuse AIPAC money, drawing a deliberate contrast with Stevens on the issue
- Rogers has not faced the same intraparty pressure on this issue, but the Senate's role in foreign policy and military aid makes it a question all candidates may face in the general election
The Direction of the Democratic Party
This primary is being watched as a test of where the Democratic Party is headed.
- Stevens represents the establishment lane — centrist, Washington-experienced, with reported support from Senate Democratic leadership
- McMorrow has positioned herself as bold but practical — though the resurfaced tweets have complicated that narrative
- El-Sayed is running from the progressive wing of the party, backed by Bernie Sanders, arguing for bolder, more progressive policy positions
Democratic Candidates
Abdul El-Sayed (D)
 |
|
Positions
- Medicare for All — supports replacing private insurance with a single government-run system
- Abolish medical debt and reform healthcare monopolies
- Ban corporate PAC money from elections; overturn Citizens United
- Tax billionaire wealth to fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure
- PRO Act — expand workers' right to unionize
- Raise the federal minimum wage
- Has criticized aspects of current U.S. policy toward Israel
Endorsements & Positioning
- Endorsed by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is actively campaigning alongside El-Sayed, including a Fighting Oligarchy Tour rally in Detroit in May 2026. Also endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ro Khanna, National Nurses United, and over a dozen Michigan state representatives
- Has pledged to refuse corporate PAC money and AIPAC support; running explicitly as an outsider candidate funded by individual donors
Career
- Physician and epidemiologist who served as Executive Director of the Detroit Health Department (2015–2017), one of the youngest big-city health directors in the country; ran for Michigan governor in 2018, losing in the primary to Gretchen Whitmer; served as Wayne County Health Director (2023–2025)
- Since leaving public office, built Incision Media, a political podcast and production company; remains active in progressive politics and media
Personal
- Born in Ann Arbor to Egyptian immigrant parents; earned his medical degree from Columbia and a doctorate in public health from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar
- Muslim and has spoken openly about his faith throughout his political career; lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and daughter
Rachel Howard (D)
 |
|
Positions
- Gradual transition to a single-payer healthcare system covering physical and mental health
- Cut prescription drug prices and reform Pharmacy Benefit Manager conflicts of interest
- Overhaul VA healthcare and expand veterans' services and telehealth
- Reform child support system to reduce poverty among families
- Improve grade school education with a focus on both academic and vocational pathways
- Preserve Michigan farmland through tax incentives for agricultural use
- Reform campaign finance — ban corporate donations to individual candidates
- Evidence-based policymaking grounded in research, not party politics
Career
- Served 14 years as a combat medic in the Michigan Army National Guard, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan; one of fewer than 500 women ever to receive the Purple Heart; medically retired in 2019
- After service, worked as an EMT in metro Detroit, a clinical researcher at Henry Ford Health, and a Research Health Science Specialist at the VA in Ann Arbor, where she helped create one of the only Post-Deployment Respiratory Health specialty clinics in the country; resigned from the VA in 2026 to run for Senate
Personal
- Born and raised in Michigan, grew up in Macomb County; holds a bachelor's degree from Grand Valley State University and two master's degrees — one in Social Work from Wayne State and one in Public Health from George Washington University
- Mother and stepmother of four sons in a blended family; lives in Dexter
Haley Stevens (D)
 |
|
Positions
- Public option — expand access to government health coverage without eliminating private insurance
- Protect the ACA and coverage for pre-existing conditions
- Protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts
- Invest in manufacturing, STEM education, and workforce development
- Supports continued U.S.-Israel alliance and military cooperation; backed by pro-Israel organizations
- Campaign finance reform — sponsored legislation to limit political spending
- Lower costs for working families on healthcare, housing, and prescription drugs
Endorsements & Positioning
- Has described herself as a "proud pro-Israel Democrat;" backed by AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC; was booed at the 2026 Michigan Democratic Party Convention over her stance on Israel
- Endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, and the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus; receives reported support from Senate Democratic leadership, including Chuck Schumer and the DSCC; endorsed by multiple trade unions, including Boilermakers Local 169, UNITE Here Local 24, and IronWorkers Local 25
Career
- Served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force under Obama, helping save GM, Chrysler, and over 200,000 Michigan jobs; afterward, joined a manufacturing research lab focused on the future of work
- First elected to represent Michigan's 11th District in 2018; currently serving her fourth term in Congress with a focus on manufacturing, STEM education, and workforce development
Personal
- Born in Rochester Hills, raised in Birmingham; graduated from Seaholm High School; earned a B.A. and M.A. from American University
- Grew up in an entrepreneurial household where her parents ran a landscaping business; still lives in Birmingham
Mallory McMorrow (D)
 |
|
Positions
- Public option — opposes Medicare for All; favors expanding access without a full system overhaul
- Codify abortion rights and protect reproductive healthcare access federally
- Expand red flag gun laws nationally, based on Michigan's model
- Raise the federal minimum wage to $15; strengthen unions and ban non-compete agreements
- Voting rights — enact nationwide standards for ballot access
- Clean energy — supports Michigan's model of requiring 50% renewable energy by 2030
- Require data center companies to fund their own energy and grid costs, not pass them to ratepayers
- Has pledged not to accept AIPAC money; has asked AIPAC not to intervene in the Michigan primary
Endorsements & Positioning
- Endorsed by Michigan State SenatorJeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), autoworker unions; has pledged to refuse AIPAC money and has asked the organization not to intervene in the Democratic primary on behalf of any candidate
- Her campaign is built on grassroots small-dollar donors, having raised more from small donations than any other candidate in the race
Career
- Industrial designer and creative director before entering politics; first elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018, now serves as Senate Majority Whip — the first woman in Michigan history to hold that position
- Became a national figure after a 2022 viral floor speech pushing back against a Republican fundraising email accusing her of grooming children; published her first book, Hate Won't Win, in March 2025
Personal
- Originally from New Jersey; earned a B.A. in Industrial Design from the University of Notre Dame in 2008
- Lives in Royal Oak with her husband and their daughter
Republican Candidates
Michael Rogers (R)
 |
|
Positions
- Aligned with the Trump administration's America First agenda
- Tax cuts and deregulation as the path to economic growth
- Bring manufacturing jobs back to Michigan through trade and energy policy
- Secure the southern border; supports the administration's immigration enforcement priorities
- Lower energy costs — supports domestic oil, gas, and energy production
- Protect Social Security and Medicare for seniors
- Strong national defense and support for veterans
- Second Amendment — opposes gun control legislation
- Previously voted against the Affordable Care Act; supports market-based healthcare alternatives
- Supports expanded election security measures and voter ID and citizenship requirements
Endorsements & Positioning
- Endorsed by President Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, NRSC Chairman Tim Scott, U.S. Senators Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker, Steve Daines, and John Barrasso, Michigan Congressmen Jack Bergman and Tim Walberg, and the Police Officers Association of Michigan
- Running as an aligned supporter of the current administration's agenda; his campaign is backed by the Senate Leadership Fund's $45 million outside spending commitment
Career
- Former FBI special agent and 14-year U.S. Representative (2001–2015); chaired the House Intelligence Committee, becoming one of Congress's most prominent national security voices in the post-9/11 era
- Narrowly lost to Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 Senate race; running again in 2026 with major outside money behind him, including a $45 million commitment from the Senate Leadership Fund
Personal
- Michigan native; attended Adrian College, played football, then served in the U.S. Army before joining the FBI
- Lives in Genoa Township, Livingston County, with his wife Kristi Rogers
Genevieve Peters Scott (R)
 |
|
Positions
- Revitalize Michigan's economy through a national skilled trades training program for middle and high schools
- Establish uniform nationwide standards for federal elections
- Require teaching of U.S. founding documents in K-12 schools
- Eliminate federal waste, fraud, and abuse; end what she calls unconstitutional spending
- Protect religious freedom and oppose government mandates
- Oppose sanctuary cities; support border security
- Aligned with the Trump America First agenda
Career
- Former educator who went on to join the leadership team in Michigan's third-largest county clerk's office, where she led election integrity efforts and bipartisan reforms; attended Western Michigan University
- A vocal Trump supporter and grassroots activist; she was present at events surrounding January 6th and has been documented protesting outside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's home; nearly beat Rogers in a GOP straw poll before she officially entered the race
Personal
- Raised on Detroit's Eastside in a working-class family — her father built Chevys after serving in the military, her mother worked at the local diner
- Lives in Royal Oak with her husband John and their two rescue cats
Frederick Heurtebise (R)
 |
|
Heurtebise is a welding engineer from Grand Rapids with no campaign website and minimal public profile. He has raised roughly $10,000. Limited public information is available at time of publication.
Other Party Candidates
Valerie Lee Willis (I)
 |
|
Willis has run for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat multiple times — as a write-in candidate in 2018, on the U.S. Taxpayers Party ticket in 2020, and as a write-in again in 2024. She attended Central Michigan University and runs "As the Sun Rises," a Facebook-based advocacy group focused on child support reform.
Limited public information is available at time of publication.
T.J. Stephens (No Party Affiliation)
 |
|
Positions
- Break the grip of the two-party system; running as an independent voice
- Transparency and honest communication as governing principles
- Reform the healthcare system — motivated by personal experience with insurance industry failures
- Fiscal responsibility and constituent-first governance
- Return decision-making power to Michigan voters, not party leadership
Career
- Senior executive in the medical software industry with a background that includes working as a volunteer firefighter, on an oil rig, and in real estate; his interest in healthcare policy stems from a personal battle with an insurance company at age 18
Personal
- Lives in Grand Blanc, Genesee County; no additional personal background publicly available at time of publication
Dropped Out
Joseph Tate (D) — Dropped Out
 |
|
Where the Money Is
Fundraising is often an indicator of organizational strength and voter enthusiasm. As of the most recent FEC filings, four candidates have separated themselves from the field. The three Democratic candidates are running within roughly $1.2 million of each other, making the primary highly competitive from a financial standpoint. Rogers is the clear frontrunner on the Republican side, with no other GOP candidate coming close in fundraising.
| Candidate | Party | Total Raised |
|---|---|---|
| Haley Stevens | Democrat | $8,870,471 |
| Mallory McMorrow | Democrat | $8,624,066 |
| Abdul El-Sayed | Democrat | $7,646,728 |
| Mike Rogers | Republican | $7,623,339 |
Source: Federal Election Commission (fec.gov). Figures reflect total raised through the most recent filing period. Newly filed summary data may not appear for up to 48 hours.
Outside Spending
Outside spending refers to money spent by Super PACs, party committees, and other independent groups to support or oppose candidates — separate from the candidates' own campaigns. Unlike direct contributions, outside spending has no legal limit. For a plain-language explanation of how PACs work and why they matter, read our guide: The Impact of Political Committees (PACs) in Elections.
It is still early in the 2026 election cycle, and significant outside spending typically ramps up in the 60–90 days before a primary or general election. As the August 4, 2026 primary approaches, outside spending in this race is expected to increase significantly.
A few things already known about outside spending in this race:
- AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC have both backed Stevens; AIPAC previously spent heavily in her 2022 primary victory and is expected to do so again in 2026
- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which works to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate, has privately backed Stevens but has not yet made major public expenditures in the race
- The Senate Leadership Fund, a top Republican Super PAC, announced a $45 million investment in Mike Rogers' campaign
- Michigan is considered one of the most competitive Senate seats in the country in 2026, which typically attracts significant outside spending from national groups on both sides
This section will be updated as outside spending data becomes available. You can track outside spending in real time at OpenSecrets.org and FEC.gov.
What to Look for in a U.S. Senator
Once you understand what a U.S. Senator does, the next question is: what kind of experience and leadership help someone do the job well? The Senate handles some of the most consequential decisions in American government — from confirming Supreme Court justices to ratifying international treaties to controlling the federal budget. The role requires a combination of policy depth, strategic thinking, and the ability to represent an entire state, not just a single district or constituency.
For a deeper look at what makes an effective legislator, read our guide: What It Takes to Be an Effective Legislator.
Legislative experience and process knowledge.
The Senate is a complex institution with its own rules, procedures, and political dynamics. A candidate who understands how legislation actually moves — through committee, onto the floor, and into law — is better positioned to be effective from day one. Experience working within legislative bodies, whether at the state or federal level, is worth examining closely.
Policy depth across a wide range of issues.
U.S. Senators vote on everything — defense, healthcare, trade, immigration, environmental policy, technology regulation, and more. A strong candidate can speak specifically and substantively about policy, not just in general terms. Voters should look for candidates who demonstrate real understanding of the issues, including tradeoffs, not just talking points.
Budget and fiscal understanding.
Every federal dollar that flows into Michigan passes through the congressional appropriations process. A Senator who understands federal budgeting — how revenue, spending, and federal-state funding relationships work — is better equipped to fight for Michigan's priorities when resources are tight and competing interests are loud.
National security and foreign policy awareness.
The Senate has unique authority over treaties, military authorizations, and presidential appointments that shape U.S. foreign policy. Michigan's economy is deeply tied to international trade, particularly with Canada and global auto markets. A candidate's fluency in these areas — and their understanding of how federal decisions affect Michigan specifically — matters.
Collaboration and negotiation.
The Senate requires 60 votes to advance most major legislation, which means effective senators must be able to work across party lines. The ability to build coalitions, find common ground, and move things forward without abandoning core commitments is a practical skill — not just a campaign message.
Constituent connection.
Michigan is a large, economically and geographically diverse state — from the UP to Detroit, from rural farming communities to major research universities. A strong candidate understands that diversity and can represent the full range of Michigan residents, not just the ones who voted for them.
Communication and transparency.
Senators cast votes that affect millions of people, often on issues that are highly technical or politically charged. The ability to explain those votes clearly, honestly, and in plain language — and to stay accountable to constituents between elections — is part of the job. How a candidate communicates during the campaign often reflects how they'll communicate from Washington.
Integrity and public trust.
A U.S. Senator holds significant power over federal appointments, legislation, and public resources. A candidate's personal and professional track record — how they've handled mistakes, how they've treated the public trust, and whether their record matches their rhetoric — deserves serious scrutiny. Voters are essentially hiring someone to represent Michigan's interests in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.
How to Vote in Michigan
Knowing who's running is only half the equation. Here's how to make sure your vote actually counts on August 4th (primary) and November 3rd (general election).
Start here: Look up your personal voter information
The Michigan Voter Information Center has everything you need in one place. Enter your information at mvic.sos.state.mi.us and you'll see:
- Whether you're registered to vote
- Your polling location on Election Day
- Your early voting location and hours
- Your absentee ballot status
- Your drop box locations
- All of your voting districts — county, state house, state senate, U.S. Congress, school board, and more
- Your local clerk's contact information
Key dates
- Primary Election: August 4, 2026
- General Election: November 3, 2026
- Early voting is available — check the MVIC site for your specific location and hours
- Michigan allows same-day voter registration at your local clerk's office
Not registered?
You can register online at mvic.sos.state.mi.us if you have a Michigan driver's license or state ID, by mail, or in person at your local clerk's office. If you're registering within 14 days of an election, you must do so in person.
Voter information is maintained by the Michigan Secretary of State. Contact your local clerk if you have questions about your specific situation.
Content Disclaimer: Our team researches information from official websites, news outlets, and other public resources to make it easier for Michigan residents to stay informed. We strive to provide accurate, balanced, and up-to-date information, but we may occasionally miss updates or changes. Michigan Women is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and does not support or oppose any political candidate or party. This content is intended solely for civic education and public awareness.
