July 18, 2025 | This Week in Government: Detroit Regional Chamber Makes Early Endorsement of Duggan for Governor

The Detroit Regional Chamber PAC is endorsing Detroit mayor and independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan, it announced Thursday.

Noting that the race for the next governor is already “populated by many good and longtime friends of the chamber,” the PAC’s announcement admitted that in a calmer political climate, the decision to endorse would have been held off until the general election. This year, though, chamber leaders said they couldn’t wait.

“The chamber and businesses across the state are growing increasingly concerned about the inability of our political parties to find common ground and move Michigan forward,” Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy K. Baruah said in a statement. “Throughout his business and government career, Mike Duggan has proven he can bring people together to work toward common goals. Voters across Michigan are tired of the political infighting; they are clamoring for results-driven leadership, which is exactly what Mike has brought to every leadership position he’s held.”

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, two of the Democrats seeking their party’s nomination, are from metro Detroit. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is also seeking the nomination.

On the Republican side, former House Speaker Tom Leonard, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former Attorney General Mike Cox, and U.S. Rep. John James are among those seeking the nomination. Cox and James are from metro Detroit.

The chamber has endorsed from both parties so the endorsement could have been in play for any of the candidates.

In the 2018 election, the last time the governor’s seat was open, the chamber endorsed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over then-Attorney General Bill Schuette in October before the general election. It was the first time chamber’s PAC backed a Democrat for the governor’s office since 1990. It also endorsed Leonard for attorney general that year but did not make an endorsement in the secretary of state race.

The chamber said that with a quorum of members of its PAC present, the decision to endorse Duggan was unanimous. The PAC was the first organization to endorse Duggan on his write-in campaign for mayor in 2013, and members said his tenure as mayor has proven that endorsement and the ones that followed to be wise decisions.

“Mayor Duggan’s tenure in Detroit has been a case study in effective, consistent leadership,” said Honigman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Foltyn, who chairs the Chamber PAC. “He has demonstrated a unique ability to bring stakeholders together to solve generational challenges. The business community has full confidence that he will bring that same steady hand and relentless focus on results to Lansing, creating the stable, pro-growth environment Michigan needs to compete on a global scale.”

The endorsement is significant for Duggan, especially since it comes 16 months ahead of the general election while Duggan works to convince voters he is a better choice than one of the major party candidates.

“This is a campaign where you don’t have to choose between business or labor. All you have to choose is progress,” Duggan said in a statement. “In the coming months, we are going to build a coalition like none other. Detroit’s business community, in partnership with neighborhood and civic leaders, has played a key role in Detroit’s resurgence. Together, we broke the barriers that divided us and held Detroit back for far too long and delivered for the people of Detroit. I could not be more grateful for this early endorsement.”

An economic development project that was a significant priority for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won’t move forward after the company seeking a megasite for a semiconductor plant pulled out of a deal that would have brought the facility to Mundy Township.

Whitmer, in a statement on Wednesday, pointed to “massive uncertainty” at the federal level.

The company is Sandisk, a semiconductor manufacturing company based in California, a source close to the project confirmed. Whitmer did not directly name the company in her statement.

A representative of Sandisk did not return a request for comment.

The massive project has been a key priority for Whitmer and area lawmakers and officials. $250 million in Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund has already been approved and work on the site is already ongoing.

Otie McKinley, spokesperson for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, shared that around $192 million of the SOAR funds have been disbursed to the Flint and Genesee Group Foundation.

Republicans also latched on to the company backing out as proof the Whitmer administration’s economic development strategy doesn’t work.

According to initial documents, the project was estimated to create 9,400 jobs, with 7,400 of those direct jobs expected to exceed the regional median wage, and another estimated 5,000 workers at peak site construction. The company was set to invest $63 billion over the life of the project.

The project was intended to have groundbreaking in 2025 and be fully developed by 2045 for four facilities on 1,300 acres.

The letter of intent signed by the company and the state indicated the state would provide a host of incentives, including a $1.18 billion cash grant, $250 million in workforce development funding, another $750 million cash grant, a new tax credit incentive program valued at $3.3 billion, a sales and use tax exemption worth $416 million, and other local tax incentives.

Additionally, the state was working to improve access to the project area by improving the area roads and other improvements to the site, according to the letter.

Sandisk was going to spend $500 million over 50 years on community development to integrate the project into the community.

The company submitted an application for CHIPS and Science Act funding to the Biden administration, but it never acted. Now, the funding application is still sitting with the Trump administration, which has been critical of the program.

Whitmer has noted in the past that this is one of the continuous discussions she has with President Donald Trump, whom she has claimed to have a working bipartisan relationship with since January that gets mixed reviews from her fellow Michigan Democrats.

In a statement, Whitmer said the company pulled out “because of massive economic uncertainty at the national level” and has decided not to move forward with constructing any plants in the United States.

“Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs,” Whitmer said. “Michigan’s Mundy Township site was the company’s preferred destination to build their massive facility.”

Whitmer said Michigan will continue to compete with other states and countries in bringing “cutting-edge factories home” and create economic prosperity for workers in advanced manufacturing.

“While I will keep doing whatever is in my power to build on Michigan’s economic momentum, there is no doubt that national economic uncertainty will make this harder,” Whitmer said. “We will keep bringing people together to get big things done.”

Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Flint and Genesee Economic Alliance, said in a statement that while they are disappointed by the announcement, they would be committed to attracting an advanced manufacturer to the county.

“The Advanced Manufacturing District of Genesee County is the best site in North America for an advanced manufacturer to locate, and we will continue our important work together to attract a job-creating project that will benefit our region and the entire state for generations to come” Rossmaessler said. “We remain convinced that attracting an advanced manufacturer will create thousands of jobs, help boost and launch small businesses, create opportunities for young people and help us enhance national security by bringing our supply chain and jobs back to the U.S.”

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) in a statement said national trends aren’t the issue and championed Trump’s tariff plans he said punishes companies that offshore jobs and incentives in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” for semiconductor growth and high-tech job growth.

“President Trump’s bold leadership is making it easier and more attractive than ever to create jobs in America. We simply need state leaders who are focused on making sure Michigan is the best possible place to build and grow,” Hall said. “That’s why House Republicans will continue to fight at the Capitol to cut unnecessary red tape, reverse the 2023 Democrat tax hike on small business and improve state government services to help as many job creators as possible choose Michigan as a permanent home.”

Rep. Jasper Martus (D-Flushing) called the situation “a personal attack on Genesee County,” which he represents, and “an utter failure” of Trump’s economic policies. He added that both Hall and Trump promised there would be a better deal with the company based on CHIPS, and now there is no deal.

“Congratulations to them, real ‘Art of the Deal’ effort there to create a better deal because the other side walked away from the table,” Martus said.

He said there was nothing else that Whitmer could have done to get the deal through and “took arrows” from his side, trying to deliver for the county.

There were infancy stages where there were good conversations on both sides, he added, but that it is “not deal makers or serious people who are in charge.”

Although Martus said both administrations were at fault for not moving this “once in a generation” project through, he said “Trump is fiddling while (his) community is burning.”

He said his next steps will be taking “a consolation prize” that he predicts will be smaller than the Sandisk investment.

“I try to be an upbeat person and put a positive spin on things, but for a while this is going to be what could have been, or the one that got away, for a very, very long time,” Martus said. “So, I think today is about pointing fingers at who is to blame, and right now, it’s Donald J. Trump, and tomorrow, you know, I’m happy to lend any support that I can to create jobs in my community, but I will never forget for as long as I live this missed opportunity and who’s to blame.”

Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) said in a press release that the decision to shelve this project is “deeply disappointing” and that the project would represent an opportunity “to restore Genesse County’s legacy as a manufacturing powerhouse.”

“While this pause is a setback, it does not erase the progress we’ve made or the potential that still exists within the Advanced Manufacturing District of Genesee County,” Cherry said in a statement. “We remain committed to attracting transformative investments, supporting skilled trades and technical careers, and ensuring that Genesee County remains a competitive and compelling destination for advanced manufacturing.”

He assured that he would work with partners to advocate for economic growth policies and that other projects like this “can be revived and realized.”

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the news, highlighting semiconductor chip manufacturing being “vital” and his stance on wanting legislation to attract these investments.

“But chaotic policy changes and tariffs undermine the stability businesses look for and Michigan is paying the price” the post said. “I’ll keep fighting to bring more jobs home.”

Michigan Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Quentin Messer Jr. released a statement that said “Team Michigan” still came together to “present the most compelling site, the most competitive business case and the strongest community impact partnership in the entire U.S.”

“While economic factors outside of the state’s control ultimately proved insurmountable to this greenfield project moving forward in the U.S., we are proud of the tremendous work that resulted in Genesee County being the preferred, and final U.S. location for what would have been a generational semiconductor fab investment,” Messer said.

Messer said site readiness efforts on the district is still on course, and that “momentum remains strong and will continue onward” on making the site “one of the premier 1,000 plus acre greenfield sites in the country.”

The Michigan Laborers District Council expressed “deep frustration” over “dysfunction in D.C.” that they believe led to the pull out of Sandisk.

“Let’s be clear about who’s to blame for this devastating loss to Michigan: the federal government’s reckless economic policies,” Brent Pilarski, business manager of the Michigan Laborers District Council, said in a statement. “Tariffs and inflation have made it impossible for companies to confidently invest in American manufacturing and construction. We had the workforce and the best location in the country. This failure is on Washington elites.”

The conservative Michigan Forward Network said the decision is more proof Whitmer should embrace lowering taxes and reducing regulations, not focus on trying to lure one company at a time to the state with taxpayer-funded incentives.

“On Gov. Whitmer’s watch, our unemployment rate is one of the worst in the nation. If Gov. Whitmer truly wants to do everything in her power to grow our economy in her final years of office, she should work with Republicans to cut taxes, cut red tape, fix our roads, and build a business climate that works for everyone, not just a handful of well-connected out-of-state corporations,” said Zach Rudat, spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network.

Chris Schwinden, a partner at Site Selection Group based in Dallas, Texas, said nationally, there is a lot of hesitancy across the board with companies right now because of the hampering uncertainty.

“It’s really tough for companies to make multi-million, if not multi-billion dollar, decisions when they don’t know what supply-chain (or) tariff situations might look like tomorrow, let alone, two years or five years from now,” Schwinden said.

Schwinden assured that it was not a Michigan issue, in fact Michigan is a very competitive state with its high concentration of engineering talent, site development efforts with utility partners and production talent overall.

He said when it comes to the comparison of the Mundy site on a national scale, it is clear “they’ve done their homework” and presumes it to be “a very attractive site.”

For companies to want to settle in the United States broadly, Schwinden said, companies need stability in both political parties aligning on economic development and not wanting to change long term projects based on who is governor and who is in the majority.

A Republican-majority Legislature previously approved the creation of SOAR, before mostly pivoting to opposing the economic development fund and the projects it was used for.

Federal Election Commission reports filed Tuesday show U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar has been able to harness cryptocurrency investments to bolster the already sizeable financial base of his reelection campaign.

Thanedar (D-Detroit) only raised about $32,000 from individuals and political action committees during the quarterly reporting period, a sum dwarfed by the donor intake of his two primary competitors, Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit), and Adam Hollier. McKinney pulled in $272,082 and Hollier $295,135, but neither could begin to compete with Thanedar’s crypto haul.

Investments in cryptocurrency made with campaign funds raised Thanedar $1.76 million over about three months, adding to the $6.1 million he began the reporting period with and leaving him with $7.88 million on hand when it ended. Putting campaign dollars into investments like cryptocurrency is allowed under federal rules but is not commonly done due to the risks and volatility associated therein.

Per Thanedar’s previous quarterly report, the same investments lost him over $775,000, illustrating their rapid fluctuation tendencies. But for now, it’s paying off – McKinney’s $216,678 on hand at the end of the period and Hollier’s $358,336, though arguably more indicative of support, don’t offer nearly as much to play with as the cycle becomes more expensive.

Campaign finance reports were due at midnight on Tuesday.

Republican Mike Rogers, who is running for the U.S. Senate for the second cycle in a row after narrowly losing to U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) last year, defended his fundraising in a statement late Tuesday.

Rogers raised $1.5 million across two committees, his individual candidate committee and a joint fundraising committee with Michigan’s Resurgence PAC, the Great Lakes Conservative Fund, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

He raised $742,422 in his candidate committee and $778,615 in the joint committee. He has $1.1 million on hand in his candidate committees plus the joint committee funds.

“Just as the Democrats want to convince you that men should participate in women’s sports, illegals should be able to vote, the government should tell you what kind of car to drive – and that Joe Biden knew what the auto pen in the White House was doing,” Alyssa Brouillet, spokesperson for the Rogers campaign, said in a statement. “The Left will do anything to distract from the fact that Mike Rogers outraised their leading candidate, Haley Stevens. And reporters might be falling for their lies, but Michigan voters won’t.”

Joint fundraising committees have different rules but under a previous FEC decision, can help pay for candidate ads, lessening the burden on a candidate committee.

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), who has been considering a U.S. Senate bid, reported raising $746,685 and has $1.4 million on hand in his U.S. House committee.

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) reported raising $1.3 million and transferred $1.5 million from her U.S. House account. She has $1.9 million on hand.

Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor reported raising $1.8 million and spending about $700,000. He has $1.1 million on hand.

Rep. Joe Tate of Detroit is also seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and was well below his competitors. Tate raised $192,771 and has $70,212 on hand.

Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) raised the most in her candidate committee – and also spent the most. She has $826,912 on hand after raising $2.1 million and spending $1.3 million. She reported having $826,912 on hand.

The bulk of her spending appeared to come from consulting fees and salaries.

U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) pulled in a modest $61,407 to his mostly defunct congressional campaign committee, from which he transferred $500,000 to his gubernatorial campaign committee. He’s left with $496,427 on hand.

In the crowded Democratic primary to replace James, attorney Christina Hines was the last to file, raising $260,554 and ending the period with $216,641 on hand. Her campaign said she outraised the other candidates – Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel, former U.S. Commerce Department official Eric Chung, U.S. Army reserve battalion commander Tripp Adams, and newcomer Alex Hawkins – in terms of in-district support and Macomb County contributions.

“I’m so honored by our community coming together alongside our campaign,” Hines said in a statement. “We deserve leadership from our community who will work to fix our educational system and protect our children, fully fund Social Security and protect Medicare and Medicaid, to make sure our groceries, daycare and housing are affordable, and that we have good jobs and infrastructure right here at home. That’s what I want to do.”

Chung said he raised $600,000, Greimel reported raising $400,330, Hawkins reported raising $156,128 and Adams reported raising $198,121.

In the 7th District, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) who has five Democrats vying to replace him already, reported raising over $1 million in the period, leaving him with $1.45 million on hand at the end of the quarter.

None of the Democrats who are challenging Barrett were required to file campaign finance reports. But former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink has said she raised $500,000 in the weeks since she launched her campaign.

Ex-Navy SEAL and presidential aide Matt Maasdam, Michigan State University professor Josh Cowen, Lansing activist Samuel Smeltzer, and former state senate candidate Muhammad Rais of DeWitt are also running.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has officially begun its review of Enbridge Energy’s permit application for the Line 5 tunnel project, the agency said on Thursday.

The permit application applies to Part 303, Wetlands Protection, and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. The agency will accept public comment until Aug. 29.

Two virtual meetings will also be held. One is an informational session on Aug.12, with a question-and-answer format regarding the application and EGLE’s review process. The second is a formal public hearing on Aug. 19, where comments will be received for the record. Both meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m.

Enbridge, as part of the construction process to build a tunnel to house the existing Line 5 pipeline, proposes to fill, grade, and construct within 1.53 acres of wetlands in Mackinac County on Point LaBarbe.

Activities include building construction, construction laydown areas, tunnel portal construction, and road improvements within wetlands. Additionally, a water intake structure is proposed in Emmet County on McGulpin Point with 0.17 acre of associated Lake Michigan bottomland impact. This includes a 61-foot-long, 14-inch-diameter pipe extension where the intake line exits the lake bottom, and the intake structure which is proposed to be placed on a 12-foot-wide by 12-foot-long precast concrete pad. Up to 15 concrete ballasts, each measuring 48 inches by 24 inches by 40 inches, to weigh the intake pipe and structure to the lake bottom are also proposed, according to information provided by EGLE.

Comments can be provided online.

Environmental groups remain vehemently opposed to Line 5 and the tunnel project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also working on an environmental impact statement. It released a draft in May, and a final version is expected this year.

When the plan for the project was first crafted at the end of 2018, Enbridge estimated it could be completed by 2024. It has faced fights on multiple fronts since then and has yet to begin construction.

Michigan’s unemployment rate crept down in June, according to the most recent data from the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget.

The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 5.3% during June, a press release from the department said.

Employment receded by 4,000 during the month, and the number of unemployed people decreased by 6,000. Michigan’s labor force shrank by 9,000 in June.

“Michigan’s unemployment rate declined for the second consecutive month in June, a sign of labor market stabilization during the second quarter,” Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for Michigan’s Center for Data and Analytics, said in a statement. “Payroll jobs also declined this month but recorded a solid second quarter gain of over 10,000 jobs.”

The national unemployment rate also decreased by a tenth of a percentage point during June, to 4.1%.

Michigan’s jobless rate in June remains 1.2 percentage points higher than the national rate. The national unemployment rate was unchanged year-over-year, but Michigan’s rate rose by 0.6 of a percentage point since June 2024.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn Metropolitan statistical area’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.2 of a percentage point to 4.8%. Employment in the area rose by 8,000, and unemployment fell by 4,000, resulting in a labor force gain of 4,000 during the month.

During the last year, the Detroit metro area’s unemployment rate advanced by 0.3 percentage points. Employment rose by 7,000 and unemployment advanced by 8,000 since June 2024.

The month survey of employers by DTMB showed the Michigan seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll jobs decreased by 9,000 between May and June, resulting in a job total of 4,523,000.

Nonfarm employment declined during June due to losses during the month in professional and business services, about 9,000, and in manufacturing, about 4,000.

The state’s private education and health services sector had the largest employment increase during the month with 5,000 jobs added in June.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, total nonfarm payroll jobs in Michigan were 36,000 or 0.8% above their level a year about.

The most significant year-over-year numerical industry job gains occurred in private education, health service, construction, and government.