July 31, 2026 | This Week in Government: Michigan Officials Celebrate the Gordie Howe Bridge Opening

The Gordie Howe International Bridge opened to traffic Monday, and Michigan elected officials joined in a party 25 years in the making.

Initially known as the Detroit River International Crossing, then the New International Trade Crossing, and, finally, named for Gordie Howe, the Detroit Red Wings legend and Saskatchewan native, the work toward the new bridge spanned three governors, survived a ballot proposal from the owners of the rival Ambassador Bridge, countless court challenges, and some late resistance from President Donald Trump.

Among the first to cross was Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer drove a Ford Mustang across the bridge.

“I ran for governor to build bridges between communities and make Michiganders’ lives better,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I’m proud to celebrate the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will do just that. Built by skilled workers on both sides of the Detroit River, this bridge is an engineering marvel. It’s also a symbol of the partnership that has defined Michigan and Canada for generations and what we can, accomplish when we work together. I’m proud we got the job done during my administration on behalf of so many Michiganders who fought for this bridge and for Michigan, Canada and our future.”

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, drove his motorcycle across.

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said the new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, will strengthen the city’s economy and help both cities.

“I’m grateful to the thousands of skilled workers who built it, and to the many partners whose years of effort made it possible,” she said in a statement. “Detroit is proud to welcome this landmark, and we look forward to the opportunities it will bring for generations to come.”

Legislative Democrats on Wednesday reintroduced the nine bills from the 2023-24 term Gov. Gretchen Whitmer controversially vetoed this month.

While Democrats were vocal in their frustration with the governor following a year’s long lawsuit saga between the Senate and House, Whitmer has stayed that the blame lies with House Republicans for not presenting the bills for 18 months. Whitmer cited administrative burden as the reason for the vetoes, and invited Democrats to introduce them again.

On Wednesday, Democrats did just that and placed the burden of the failed bills to House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, in their quest to guide the bills back on Whitmer’s desk.

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, denounced Hall’s “political gamesmanship” and all the obstacles put in the way of providing “quality public policy that will lower costs and improve lives for the dedicated, hardworking Michiganders who make our state so great.”

There was a general focus during the reintroduction announcement on healthcare insurance premium costs. Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-Saint Clair Shores, said asking public service workers to “absorb thousands of additional dollars in healthcare costs is simply not right, especially at a time when the cost of everything else, from gas, groceries, childcare, and housing is on the rise.”

“Instead of delivering relief to thousands of public servants, House Speaker Matt Hall and House Republicans chose politics over people through needless delays, political games,” Hertel said. “They chose to violate our state Constitution and illegally withhold this legislation from the governor for 18 months, ultimately leading to a veto. Their deliberate obstruction is now having real consequences for people across our state because of their political games. The very people who keep our communities safe, who educate our children, and respond when we call 911 are facing impossible choices.”

In the Senate, SB 1133, SB 1134, and SB 1135 would allow Department of Corrections officers to join the Department of State Police pension system. SB 1136 would require certain employers to pay more toward healthcare costs. SB 1137 and SB 1138 would exempt public assistance, disability and worker’s compensation from garnishment to repay debts. SB 1139, SB 1140, and SB 1141 would allow certain Detroit museums to seek a millage for additional funding. The House on Wednesday also introduced bills for the museum millage (HB 6227, HB 6228, and HB 6229) and on garnishment limitations (HB 6229 and HB 6230).

Hertel said the choice is simple: “people can continue playing political games, or we can actually solve a serious problem.”

The Democrats also hosted service worker representatives including Kara Ayotte, President of the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council, and Ron Bieber, President of the Michigan AFL-CIO.

Ayotte said the bills would position nurses better at negotiation tables for better wages and balanced healthcare costs. Bieber also defended the necessity of the pension and wage garnishment bills, saying they have “seen too many families harassed by aggressive debt collectors looking to seize wages and tax credits.”

The AFL-CIO previously released a statement saying Whitmer’s veto “betrays democratic values and abandons the very people who have supported her office.”

“We cannot afford more delays. We cannot allow these protections to sit on a desk while families struggle to pay for medicine, rent and groceries,” Bieber said.

House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton Township, said they are getting co-sponsors ready, and this time, they “mean business” and “want to get this done.”

“The political climate right now is changing,” Puri said. “More people than ever don’t care about party. More people don’t care about empty talking points. They don’t even care about agreeing with politicians and elected officials on every single issue. They’re tired. They’re frustrated, and they just want somebody to stand up and actually get something done.”

He said they are going to introduce these bills as many times as they need to, every session, until they are signed into law, “whether it is this year by holding Republicans’ feet to the fire in the House,” or next year, when Democrats are in control.

Hall told WMMT Wednesday that the chambers would have to strike a deal to get the nine bills to move. Some of the priorities Hall highlighted included bills on property tax relief, implementing a hospital cost review board, and utility cost oversight, saying any deal would have to include the consideration of those bills.

Puri said he has not had any conversations with the House Republicans on if they were ready to play ball with passing the legislation, but that the offer from House Democrats is that “they are willing to work in good faith to get this done.”

He was still skeptical this would get done this year, Puri said, but the alternative is “making sure that they don’t need to be a part of the equation in 2027” in winning back the majority.

To questions if they believed it was disingenuous for Whitmer to ask Democrats to reintroduce the bills when they are in for a battle to pass them in a House that clearly did not want to see them reach the governor’s desk, Brinks said she did not want to speculate on motivations.

But, Brinks noted Whitmer said she interested in seeing the bills again and the Democrats “intend to get them there with all the power that (they) have to do so.”

Brinks did say there were remedies for the concerns raised in the veto letters, including in worries of budget implications. As someone who was in budget negotiations, she said she thought it was possible to remedy, but there would need to be a willingness to take a look at the rainy day fund.

“We certainly would have been in a better position if this had all happened before we negotiated this year’s budget. But it’s not an insurmountable barrier to implementing this,” Brinks said to reporters.

She also said after the press conference that she was pretty confident before the veto that Whitmer would sign the bills.

Overall, though, Brinks said Hall bears responsibility because his passing along of the bills “would have eliminated some of the things that were cited as concerns in the veto letter.”

Rep. Mai Xiong, D-Warren, a sponsor of one of the bills last term, said during the press conference that Democrats were frustrated that they needed to reintroduce the bills in the first place.

Speaking to reporters, Xiong said there was frustration in the beginning about setting an “unrealistic” standard to get those bills back to the desk, but she doesn’t think Whitmer is a disingenuous person.

“I think, ultimately, she wants us to work together and to bring good legislation to her that is also fiscally responsible that we can ultimately do and we are facing budget shortfalls, and we have really tough decisions to make. But that doesn’t mean that we give up, so we’re going to continue to do whatever we can,” Xiong said.

Xiong compared the situation to finding $152 million for Selfridge Air National Guard Base upgrades in a matter of days, so she “doesn’t buy” that they don’t have funding to help teachers lower their health insurance costs.

After the press conference, Brinks also addressed other issues in front of the Senate including the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics that now sits in the Legislature for 40 days before heading to the November ballot, unless the Legislature adopts it or creates an opposing proposal.

Brinks said she is evaluating that now, with a deadline looming in early September, needing to have a conversation with her caucus to “understand the implications of that language that was approved, and figure out where it is that we all stand.”

“If there’s substantial agreement on one of those avenues, we can consider that,” Brinks told reporters. “We are at a very early stage on the particulars, not on the broad concept. On the broad concept, I dare say there’s near universal agreement that unaccountable money in politics is a problem, so it’s on the specifics here.”

Brinks also backed down from weighing in on a potential investigation into the Department of Health and Human Services on how an anonymous complaint against former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg that led to his children being removed from his custody for 24 hours. While Attorney General Dana Nessel said she would be interested in opening an investigation, Brinks said they would have to procedurally understand who was responsible for that, and that while it is overseen by the governor, they would have to look to see if it was an appropriate thing to weigh in on. But, she said she had concerns about the situation, which the Washington Post wrote about this week.

In the race for the Senate, several incumbents in competitive districts that will determine control of the chamber have been able to raise big money this year to defend their seats, with many sitting members leading the pack in their respective districts in fundraising in recent months.

Campaign finance reports for legislative candidates were due by 5 p.m. Friday for the period covering Jan. 1 through July 19.

Candidates in multiple safe Democratic and Republican districts with competitive primaries also had multiple candidates who have raised significant amounts of money, with former lawmakers or more well-known names being the highest fundraisers in some but not all such districts.

Competitive seats

Camilleri outraises GOP challenger by more than 5-1 margin in 4^th District: Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, raised $254,844 for the year to date. He spent $127,846 and had $389,909 cash on hand.

Republican challenger Marcie Grzywacz of Rockwood raised $45,247 and spent $25,082. She had $32,848 cash on hand and $13,988 in debts from personal loans she made to her campaign.

Webber has strong cash on hand in defense of 9^th Senate: Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills, reported raising $91,730 and spending $12,094. Webber had $268,352 cash on hand.

Renis Nushaj of Troy led the Democratic field in fundraising, with $61,630 while spending $340,078, leaving him with $1,874 in the bank. He also had $261,680 in debts from personal loans made to his campaign.

Democratic Oakland County Commissioner Brendan Johnson of Rochester Hills reported raising $28,987. After spending $46,915, he had $24,237 cash on hand. The third Democratic candidate, Theresa Brooks, filed a report showing nothing raised or spent. It was not immediately clear if that was in error.

Hertel rakes in money in 12^th District, GOP candidates raise far less: Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-Saint Clair Shores, was another Democrat to raise well into six figures so far this year, reporting $238,703 in contributions. Following $98,085 in spending he had $307,338 left in the bank.

John Goldwater of New Baltimore led the field of Republican challengers in fundraising, with $18,793, He spent $16,631 and had $2,163 cash on hand and $1,067 in debts, a loan from himself to his campaign.

Former Algonac Mayor Eileen Tesch reported fundraising of $12,816 and expenditures of $6,875. She had $5,941 in the bank and $576 in debt from personal loans from herself.

Shelley Wright of Harrison Township raised $10,366 and spent $19,479, leaving her with $6,858. She had $375 in debt from a personal loan to her campaign.

Republican Joseph Backus of Saint Clair Shores reported no fundraising, spending or cash on hand except for $116 of in-kind contributions.

Dem Carlson, GOP ex-Rep. Berman raising strong money in open 13^th: Deputy Oakland County Executive Sean Carlson of Commerce Township raised the most among Democrats with a total of $152,762. He spent $125,154 and had $187,345 in the bank. He also had $101,524 in debts from personal loans he made to his campaign.

Democrat Cecil George of New Hudson reported a cash on hand balance of negative $1,484. He reported raising $950 and spending $2,434. He had $1,656.70 in debts, that being credit card debt.

Former Rep. Ryan Berman, R-Commerce Township, raised $54,395, spent $7,581 and had $50,469 cash on hand. A $500 loan to himself for his campaign was listed as debt.

Glanville raises $310K in 30^th Senate challenge to Huizenga: Rep. Carol Glanville, D-Walker, raised $310,588 and spent $110,601. She had $334,879 cash on hand and $995 in debt from an in-kind contribution from herself listed as catering costs for a fundraiser.

Sen. Mark Huizenga, R-Walker, raised $91,632 during the reporting period. After spending $27,022, he had $175,041 cash in the bank.

A second Democratic candidate, Richard Kreuzer of Grand Rapids, raised $200 and spent $274, leaving him with $342 in the bank. He also had $903 in debts from personal loans.

Cole strong funds in GOP-leaning 32^nd: Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, a Republican, raised $81,123. After spending $77,299, he had $69,506 remaining. He had $800 in debts from personal loans he made to his campaign.

Fruitport Republican Max Riekse reported a cash on hand negative balance of $9,493.82. This was listed as debt from personal loans he made to his campaign. He reported no fundraising, with in-kind contributions from himself matching his listed debts.

Manistee Democrat Rebecca Amidon raised $106,616. Following $29,491 in expenditures, she had $98,458 cash on hand.

Greene strong cash advantage in trying to win full term in 35^th: The pre-election reports for this competitive Tri-Cities area district cover May 26 through July 19 due to there being a May 5 special election to fill the previously vacant seat.

Sen. Chedrick Greene, D-Saginaw, reported raising $146,583 during the reporting period and spending $42,627. Greene had $164,814 cash on hand and $196 in debt from personal loans he made to his campaign.

Republican Jason Tunney of Saginaw raised $31,750 and spent $27,682 during the reporting period. He had $7,394 cash on hand and had $16,000 in debts from personal loans he made to his campaign.

Safe Dem seats

Aiyash, Onwenu in battle for 1^st District: Former Rep. Abraham Aiyash of Detroit raised big money, $300,574, and spent $243,583 of that during the year. He reported $200,745 on hand. The report for his primary opponent, Justin Onwenu of Detroit, was not posted online as of Friday evening.

Alawieh outraises Rep. Byrnes nearly 6-1 in 2^nd Senate: Abbas Alawieh of Dearborn raised $310,142 and spent $371,235. He had $51,458 cash remaining.

Rep. Erin Byrnes of Dearborn reporting having raised $52,760 and spent $47,036 so far this year. She had $21,564 cash on hand.

Hollier raises $77K in crowded 3^rd District: Former Sen. Adam Hollier reported raising $77,570 and spending $95,364. He had $21,262 cash on hand.

Korey Hall, a senior advisor and director of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Detroit office, raised $30,468 and spent $457. He reported $30,446 cash on hand.

Several other Democratic candidates did not immediately have their reports posted online Friday evening: John Conyers III, LeJuan Council, LaTanya Garrett, Kimberly Hill Knott, Abraham Shaw II and Eboni Taylor.

Martini outraises Hoskins in 7^th District: Shadia Martini of Bloomfield Township, who narrowly lost races for the House in 2022 and 2024, raised $148,224 and spent $141,424, leaving her with $43,538 in the bank. She listed $102,764 in debts, which were personal loans she made to her campaign.

Rep. Jason Hoskins, D-Southfield, raised $76,919 and spent $63,956. Following expenditures, he had $72,653 cash on hand.

A report for Rakesh Ramakrishnan of Birmingham was not immediately available online Friday evening.

Price outraises Treppa; Treppa outspends Price: Rep. Natalie Price, D-Berkley, reported $100,801 in contributions and spending totaling $90,235. She had $49,043 cash on hand and $10,000 in debt from a personal loan she made to her campaign.

While that fundraising for the year topped her main opponent, Amanda Treppa, who raised $82,950, Treppa outspent Price for the period, $106,881 to $90,235. Price had more money to close the campaign with Treppa reporting just $11,420 cash on hand.

A report for Mark Murphy Jr. of Oak Park was not immediately available Friday evening online.

Brabec posts $81K in 15^th Senate: Former Rep. Felicia Brabec of Ann Arbor raised $81,041 and spent $75,462. She had $143,218 cash on hand.

A report from her primary opponent, Michael White of Ypsilanti, was not immediately available online as of Friday evening.

Polsdofer posts modest fundraising in crowded Dem 28^th: Ingham County Commissioner Mark Polsdofer of Meridian Township reported $28,279 in contributions and $12,012 in spending. He had $16,267 in the bank and listed $10,000 in debt, which was a personal loan he made to his campaign.

Reports for the other Democrats in the race, Rashida Harrison of Lansing, Ted Kilvington of Williamston and Ingham County Commissioner Robert Pena of Lansing, were not immediately available online Friday evening.

Skaggs raises strong cash amidst challenge in 29^th: Rep. Phil Skaggs of East Grand Rapids raised $71,310 and spent $56,145. He had $31,575 cash on hand and $40,000 in debts from personal loans he made to his campaign.

Reports for his primary opponents, former Kent County Commissioner Ivan Diaz of Grand Rapids and Abbie Groff-Blaszak of Grand Rapids, were not available online Friday evening.

Safe GOP seats

Moraitis raising solid money in 20^th Senate: Chris Moraitis of Paw Paw led the way among Republicans with $36,306 raised for the year to date. He spent $90,495 and had $41,285 cash on hand.

Kenny Clevenger of Casco Township reported raising $9,468 and spending $41,430. He had $2,497 left in the bank.

A third candidate, Curtis Clark of Allegan, did not have a report listed online ahead of publishing Friday.

Steele raises $40K in 23^rd District primary: Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, raised $40,500 during the reporting period. She had $61,034 cash in the bank after spending $114,032.

A report for her opponent, Daniel Lawless of White Lake, was not available online as of Friday evening.

Fundraising light in Wozniak, Mekoski rematch: Rep. Doug Wozniak, R-Shelby Township, reported having raised $23,495. He spent $31,143 and had $3,249 cash on hand. He also had $43,551 in debts listed.

Former Rep. Terence Mekoski of Shelby Township reported raising $9,730, spending $8,112 and having $1,618 cash remaining.

Beeler, Eisen highlight open 25^th Senate battle: Former Republican Rep. Andrew Beeler of Port Huron raised $52,918, spent $23,704 and had $36,469 cash on hand.

A report for former Republican Rep. Gary Eisen of Saint Clair Township was not listed online as of Friday evening.

Randy Schultz of Mussey raised $11,580 and spent $10,043. This left him with $1,537 left in the bank.

Big money being raised in contested 26^th Senate race: Daltson Atwell of Birch Run raised $200,129 and spent $180,888. He had $19,241 cash on hand. He also listed $191,945 in debts, which were loans he made to his campaign.

Gabriel Lossing of Dryden raised $67,795 and spent $53,542, leaving him with $14,253. He had $20,000 in debts that were personal loans from himself to his campaign.

A report for Rep. Matt Bierlein, R-Vassar, was not posted as of Friday evening.

James Graham of James Township and Burton City Councilmember Candice Miller had reporting waivers, meaning they intend to raise or spend less than $1,000.

Wetzel, Markey biggest fundraisers in 31^st: John Wetzel of Grand Haven raised the most among Republicans in the district, with $115,314. He spent $108,640. Wetzel had $6,674 cash on hand and $124,814 in debts, which were loans he made to his campaign.

Former congressional and gubernatorial candidate Michael Markey of Grand Haven reported raising $76,155, of which $50,000 was a personal loan he made to his campaign. He spent $137,307. This left him with $34,244 in the bank.

Kevin Maas of Park Township raised $49,610, spent $46,224, and had $3,474 remaining.

Johnsen outraises Fox, others in expensive 33^rd race: Rep. Gina Johnsen, R-Portland, reported $88,079 in fundraising and $115,208 in expenditures, leaving her with $3,302 cash on hand. She also had $50,477 in debts, which were personal loans she made to her campaign.

Katie DeBoer of Cannon Township raised $44,135, spent $90,884 and had $6,941 remaining. She also had $35,303 in debts from personal loans she made to her campaign.

Rep. Joseph Fox, R-Fremont, raised $38,939 and spent $35,968, leaving him with $12,839. He also had $15,000 in personal loans made to his campaign listed as debt.

Tom Norton of Sand Lake raised $8,970 and listed $56,794 of in-kind contributions. After spending $12,582, he had $17,836 for his campaign. He had $57,190 in debts from loans he made to his campaign.

LaFave, Prestin locked in competitive 38^th battle: Rep. David Prestin, R-Cedar River, raised $88,781 and spent $110,882, leaving him with $16,125. He had $20,000 in debts from personal loans he made to his campaign.

A report for former Rep. Beau LaFave of Iron Mountain was not posted as of Friday evening.

The Michiganders for Money Out of Politics proposal was deemed sufficient to be sent the Legislature and a possible future on the November ballot to be decided by voters after an arduous, hours-long Board of State Canvassers meeting.

The proposal would prohibit utilities and contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with connections to these contractors, from making direct or indirect campaign contributions and expand laws regulating spending on political communications.

The proposal will now sit in the Legislature for 40 days, and if they do not pass a competing proposal, then it will appear on the ballot.

Republican member Paul Cordes was the only vote in opposition.

However, before the ruling, the Board of State Canvassers recreated their own version of “hanging chad” arguments on signature verification to round out a six-hour meeting, with line-by-line scrutiny of every challenge presented.

In the staff report ahead of the Board of State Canvassers meeting, the ballot proposal was deemed sufficient with a narrow cushion of signatures. Of the 1,000-signature sample for review, it was determined there were 657 valid signatures following its review and after processing a challenge filed by Protect MI Free Speech. The effort needed 636 out of the sample to be deemed sufficient to move forward.

The challengers were successful in striking over 100 signatures in the staff report.

The report estimated organizers submitted 368,762 valid signatures which is 11,804 signatures over the minimum threshold for certification. Organizers turned in more 560,000 signatures.

Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater also revealed that there was an error in the number of physical pieces of paper from the sample that had not been accounted for, finding over 200 extra physical sheets for review. However, the bureau determined it did not affect their recommendation, and the information was handed over to both parties ahead of Friday’s meeting.

Gary Gordon, an attorney for Protect MI Free Speech, the opposition group to the petition, then argued the errors were proof of “a rush process.” They believe the additional sheets of paper revealed more inefficient signatures.

Olivia Flower, another attorney for the opposition, said “each line matters” in their challenge, disagreeing with the staff that the recommendation remains unchanged.

Gordon said he believes the staff “erroneously” approved signatures at times and the petitioners were “gaming the system” by filing many more signatures than required, increasing the burden on the staff and “waiting to the last minute.”

“They were surely aware when they filed that the staff would be dealing with at least one other ballot proposal and the hotly contested statewide race for governor, where there were multiple challenges to candidate petitions that this board would have to consider and the staff would have to process,” Gordon said. “The petitioners apparently banked on the possibility that a hurried staff review wouldn’t disclose the large number of invalid signatures. That didn’t work.”

Gordon also disagreed with staff on signature validation, with the staff claiming they had only found two duplicate signatures, while they found 148. The staff then went back to review those duplicates, finding more. Board member Mary Ellen Gurewitz, D-Detroit, stood up for the staff, saying the challenger is using artificial intelligence programs the staff cannot use to look for duplicates, resulting in the change of the conclusion.

Michael Brady, an attorney for Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, said in his opening remarks that the questioning of how staff handles the petitions is a “Hail Mary” and “a distraction.”

Brady said the staff needs to stick to their recommendation because there is a high enough degree of confidence, and rejected the suggestion that the standard is certainty, something Board Member Mary Ellen Gurewitz, D-Detroit, agreed with.

To allegations that the petitioners gamed the system, Brady said they followed the deadlines set by the board, and if they needed 170 days instead of 160 days, then the law should set that guideline. The manual also says the best practice is to file more than required, and why? “Because of all these poster boards,” Brady said, referring to the props the opposition brought to make their full challenge argument.

The opposition then went through their position line-by-line with a full presentation, allowing the petitioners to contest, also at the podium.

Gurewitz did agree that it is a “painfully close” matter, and that each signature mattered, but wondered if going through every point was helpful for the memory of the board.

Brater said while it would be time intensive, it makes sense to adjudicate every signature and go one-by-one, and so the hours long process began.

Some of the arguments included tedious back and forth on whether petitions had illegible handwriting or were misspellings. The supporters in the audience were litigating alongside the attorneys and the board, with many weighing in to each other of what each number looked like and laughing at times at the nitpicking nature of each question.

The board began to take mini votes on if they would keep the challenges in place, something without precedent when the board deadlocked on if a date was 2020 or 2026. Brater said he was unsure if it even mattered.

One issue was a duplicate sheet that was submitted. Brady said the petitioners had signed once even if it was scanned twice. Flower countered that every double scan impacts the sample of signatures.

Brater said one double scan would not affect the validity rate in a meaningful way, but he couldn’t say with certainty that it was the only duplicated sheet.

Chair Richard Houskamp said, “it is what it is,” and they can’t fix the issue. The issue was tabled.

By the end of the duplicate portion of the arguments, the board had whittled the signature count down to 652.

Another section was invalid addresses as to what addresses were real of if voters were registered to the address. While there was back and forth on addresses falsely written, the staff kept their recommendation that the 12 signatures were verified to be registered in that jurisdiction.

Under the current standards of the board, Board Member Paul Cordes, R-Rockford, said the fact that someone can write down a fake address and it is not invalid if they are registered in the jurisdiction does not “pass the smell test.”

Flower said, however, a court would rule that signers still need to provide a street address.

Brady said either way, they are going to argue the statute in court, implying that an appeal was imminent for the losing side.

The board flipped through the damage faster, rejecting many of the challenges. One of the challenges included a bit of a stain on a part of a word on a petition, leaving out some of the letters, which was rejected. The damage section only negated one signature, leaving 651.

There were also questions of out-of-state circulators receiving signatures, which were unclear without court interference. Gurewitz moved to reject those challenges. Another challenge was based on not including the state on signatures, in which the board rejected the challenges.

Other challenges left the signatures at 645.

As the votes got closer, there was a small tiff if the narrow cushion would be enough to hit the validity rate as opposed to just the number of votes.

“With getting down to that 64.5 percent, the closer you are to that validity rate or that validity rate, the more likely it is that you are maybe not above the amount that you need to certify,” Flower said. “This board needs to be. I don’t agree that you cannot be confident. Your duty is not be pretty sure that you have more than the constitutional threshold. You canvass and you know whether you reach the requisite number of signatures. I understand the sampling process. I don’t believe that MMOP has proven to you that they have enough signatures to appear on the ballot. So, we ask the board to act consistent with its duties with the Michigan election law and not certify this petition.”

Cordes said the petitions were not well done and was a sloppy process. He didn’t have great confidence in taking a “yes” vote, he said.

Houskamp said both sides made great arguments, but he had concerns about the process. He voted yes in the end.

Gurewitz was satisfied and said they thoroughly explored all the options to prove they had 636 votes.

The 100-word summary decision was put on the agenda for Friday, but the opposition attorneys left after the vote, pushing it to the next meeting.

Christy McGillivray, co-chair of the MMOP steering committee, said in a statement after the meeting that the vote was momentous victory for those tired of the norm – “corrupt, pay-to-play politics.”

“After nearly a year of tireless organizing by volunteers and supporters, voters are one major step closer to making their voices heard at the ballot box to rein in out-of-control corrupt spending by big corporations and state-regulated utilities,” McGillivray said in a statement. “Today is proof that a people-powered movement can stand up to some of the most powerful special interests in Michigan.”

She continued that they needed to keep working because their opposition is “going to do anything they can to stop us from holding them accountable and changing the way our politics work in Lansing.”

John Sellek, spokesperson for Protect MI Free Speech, criticized the lack of cushion on the signatures that pushed the vote, saying in a statement that the petitioners had less than 1% more than the required amount and the “microscopic margin is made even more concerning by the fact that the state’s sampling margin of error would cause MMOP to be below the minimum number of validated signatures, yet was ignored.”

Sellek said challenging the board’s decision in court is under consideration.

“This process proved that MMOP is sloppy at best and deceptive at worst. Before our signature challenge, MMOP claimed its signatures were above reproach due to its own vetting,” Sellek said. “Yet MMOP was on life support all day as about 95% of its excess signatures were invalidated. We believe serious problems remain, including the people who signed petitions despite being dead, apparently.”

He also criticized their “loose grip on details,” fighting back on the group’s argument that their proposal will empower citizens, when “they seek to ban thousands and thousands of everyday Michigan citizens from political participation because they happen to be related to someone MMOP is targeting” but would allow “out-of-state billionaires to run wild in Michigan, influencing, if not totally controlling, our government.”

He also went after the Bureau of Elections for “sloppy and inaccurate effort.”

Candidates filling the races that could shape the battle for majority in the House were required to file campaign finance reports for 2026 on Friday, with several providing the first look at the dynamics forming.

Gongwer News Service reviewed how much cash on hand each of the candidates in the top 10 seats most likely to flip have headed into Aug. 4 and how much money they raised and spent from Jan. 1 through July 19.

Races that could potentially be competitive were reviewed as well. Democrats in several districts they hope to flip reported six-figure cash balances.

Dem in 54th has $115K ahead of November: Two Republicans are vying for the general election nomination in the 54th House District with Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion, running for the Senate.

The Democrat hoping to flip the seat raised more than $100,000.

On the Republican side, though, Jeffrey Omtvedt of Bloomfield Hills, a former Oxford Township trustee, raised $21,225 and, as of July 19, was headed into the final stretch before the primary with $7,965 on hand.

His Republican primary opponent, recent college graduate Roman Gaskey, did not have his campaign finance record online prior to Friday’s deadline.

On the Democratic side, Sarah Pound heads into the primary without an opponent. She raised $114,133 this period and has $115,599 in the bank.

Frisbie, Haadsma both sitting on cash in 44th: Rep. Steve Frisbie, R-Battle Creek, and former Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, are fighting it out again in the 44th House District.

Frisbie raised $105,869 during the period and spent $35,516. He reported $90,040 on hand ahead of the primary.

Haadsma raised $113,820 during the period and spent $62,452. He has $152,814 on hand going into the primary.

Linting with $100k, Churches with $179k in the 27th: The 27th House District will also see a rematch this cycle, with Rep. Rylee Linting, R-Wyandotte, taking on former Rep. Jaime Churches, also of Wyandotte, whom Linting unseated in 2024.

Linting raised $68,593 during the period and spent $27,376. She looks toward the primary with $103,772 on hand.

Churches reported $179,000 on hand after raising about $181,000. She spent roughly $63,000 during the period.

Dem with war chest in 109th: The race in the 109th District this cycle will be a race to see if Republicans can hold onto the former Democratic stronghold in the Upper Peninsula.

Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton, who flipped the seat last term, raised $71,019 and spent $13,338. He reported $61,351 on hand.

His Democratic opponent, Anna Aho Rink, raised $134,782 this period. She spent $16,651 and has $141,74 on hand going into the primary.

Big numbers in the 46th: Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson, has yet to be tested in the 46th House District, but she’s going into the primary with good fundraising for the period and a healthy cash balance.

Schmaltz raised $65,617 during the period and spent $16,771. Ahead of the primary, she has $83,647 on hand.

The Democratic candidate Jan Maino, a mental health therapist and president of the East Jackson School Board, raised $174,390. She spent $14,636 and still has $159,753 to take on Schmaltz.

Both candidates ready to fundraise in 31st: Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, is leaving the 31st House District up for grabs by not seeking reelection. Republicans are excited about Laura Perry. Democrats also like their candidate, Milan City Councilmember Shannon Dare Wayne, who has name recognition in the district.

Perry has proved herself to be a formidable fundraiser, taking in $60,616 this period. Even after spending $45,090, she still has $76,036 cash on hand.

Wayne, despite launching her campaign days before the filing deadline, reported $112,960 in contributions for the period She’s spent $4,795 and has $108,165 on hand.

“I’m grateful to everyone who has invested in our campaign and believes in what we’re building,” Wayne said in a statement. “This support shows that working families across HD-31 want a representative who understands their lives and will fight to lower costs, strengthen our public schools, and create good-paying jobs. We have the momentum to win in November, keep this seat blue, and help Democrats take back the House.”

Dems will try to make a play in the 28th: Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown Township, has a red-tilting district but Republicans should be ready for a strong Democratic attempt here.

Thompson raised $27,132 during the period and spent $16,605. She has $23,334 in the bank.

Brownstown Township Supervisor Sherry Berecz raised about $25,000 more, bringing in $52,889 during the period. She spent $1,362 and has nearly double Thomspon’s cash balance with $51,527.

Robinson ahead of the Dem in 58th: Rep. Ron Robinson, R-Utica, who flipped the 58th House District last cycle, seems to be a good fit for the area, but remains untested in a midterm.

Robinson raised a considerable amount of money during the reporting period, bringing in $76,910 and spending $9,717. He’s left with a $100,527 war chest ahead of the midterm.

Democratic candidate Katrina Manetta raked in the cash this period, raising $82,534. She spent $9,941 and has $72,592 on hand ahead of the primary.

Not much going on in the 68th: The 68th House District might give Democrats a new chance to flip this cycle, with strong showings for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 and lower returns for Republican incumbent Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, in 2024.

Martin’s campaign finance filing was not available at the time of publishing.

Matt Schlinker, who ran as a write-in candidate during the 2024 cycle after the untimely death of the Democratic candidate, Tim Sneller, and is back in this election ahead of the primary. He raised $15,940 this period and spent $5,696. He ends the period with $14,637 in the bank.

Isaiah Grays also did not file a report by the deadline.

Solid numbers for Bay City mayor in 96th: The 96th House District was the last on Gongwer’s top 10 competitive seats earlier this month, primarily due to environment and the shifting nature of the district.

Three-time incumbent Rep. Timmy Beson, R-Bay City, raised $21,115 during the period and spent $9,708. He has $15,337 in the bank.

Bay City Mayor Christopher Girard, Beson’s challenger, raised $56,120 this period. After spending $3,903, his campaign has $52,217 left on hand heading into the primary where he is unopposed on the Democratic ticket.

Xiong with $46k in the 13th: Rep. Mai Xiong, D-Warren, had a close call in 2024 due to turnout with President Donald Trump on the top of the ticket. She won by a narrow 4.5 percentage points, but in a midterm environment without Trump on the ballot, Xiong is sitting safer.

This period, Xiong raised $77,301 and spent $49,446. She has $46,577 left on hand going into the primary.

On the Republican side of the primary ticket, GOP candidate Julie Leonardi raised $13,435 this period, spending $10,006. Going into the primary, she has a meager $3,428 cash on hand.

Mark Foster, the other Republican candidate, did not have a report online by the deadline.

Tisdel v. Hawkins in 55th: The 55th District is on the watchlist primarily due to the purple nature of the district, but Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, has three wins under his belt and was a longtime local official before arriving in Lansing.

This period, Tisdel raised $55,201 and spent $22,051. He heads into the primary with $57,669 on hand.

Alex Hawkins, who will clear the Democratic ticket without a challenger, raised $70,331 this period and spent $20,636. He has $71,705 on hand ahead of the primary.

Kuhn with solid cash lead in 57th: Rep. Tom Kuhn, R-Troy, won this seat by 14.5 points in 2024, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won by 7 points in 2022, and Democrats have put up a candidate in attorney and military veteran Tom Turner who may be a better fit for the district than the party’s previous candidates.

It’s still a longshot for the Democrats.

Kuhn raised $20,175 this period and spent $7,781. He heads into the primary with $35,733 cash on hand.

Turner raised $35,568 and spent $24,283 during the period. He ends with $11,284 on hand ahead of the primary.

Mentzer ahead in the 61st: The Republicans hoping to take on Rep. Denise Mentzer, D-Mt. Clemens, in November have some catching up to do.

Mentzer has raised a considerable amount of cash this period, bringing in $89,867. She spent $53,848 and is still left with $79,742 on hand.

Robert Wojotowicz, who ran against Mentzer in the general election last cycle, raised a measly $550 during the period and spent $2,339. He’ll head into the primary with $4,306 on hand.

John Grossenbacher, the other Republican primary candidate, raised $600 this period. He spent $506, and ends with $143.90 going into the primary

Witwer expected to be safe in 76th: Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, is likely sitting comfortably in the 76th House District seat, but the purple nature of the district makes it one to track.

Witwer continued to demonstrate her fundraising prowess during the period, bringing in $91,589. She spent $56,651 and looks toward the primary with $57,385 on hand.

Bill Kaiser, one of the Republicans seeking the opportunity to take on Witwer in the fall, raised $16,641 this period. He spent $10,528 and has $6,113 on hand headed into the primary.

John Ludtke, the other Republican on the ticket, did not have a campaign finance filing online before the deadline.

DeBoer with solid cash 86th, Dem opponent with more: Democrats proved they are hoping to make a move in the 86th House District when their candidate reported raising more than $150,000 on Friday.

Rep. Nancy DeBoer, D-Holland, is a well-established force in the district. She raised $48,924 this period and spent $15,088. She’s left with $91,513 on hand heading into the primary.

Joseph McClusky, DeBoer’s Democratic opponent, raised a sizeable sum this period, bringing in $153,258. He spent $18,214, and he ended the period with $172,385 on hand.