Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief

Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief Campaign 2026 announcements and endorsements for the week of July 6, 2026. Illustration by States Newsroom Endorsements U.S. Senate Following Sunday’s announcement by state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) that she was suspending her U.S. Senate campaign, a raft of endorsements poured in for both of her Democratic rivals. Within hours, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel endorsed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham). Stevens also received endorsements from State Sens. Paul Wojno (D-Warren) and Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) as well as state Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor Township). Also endorsing Stevens was Detroit City Councilman Scott Benson, Kent County Commissioner Carol Hennessy, Royal Oak City Commissioner Brandon Kolo, Southfield City Councilman Daniel Brightwell, Oakland County Treasurer Robert Wittenberg, Washtenaw County Commissioner Katie Scott, Clinton Township Trustee Shannon King, Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action, Bishop Wayne Jackson, the Rev. Dr. Robyn Moore, EMILYs List, the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union and the Kent County Black Caucus. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-New Jersey) announced her endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat as did U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Florida), state Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), state Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton), Hill Harper, 7th Congressional District candidate William Lawrence (who was cross-endorsed by El-Sayed), former New York City Comptroller and Democratic nominee for New York’s 11th Congressional District Brad Lander, AFGE Local 2092, the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, the Michigan Democratic Veterans Caucus and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action. Also endorsing El-Sayed were four officials who had previously endorsed McMorrow; state Sens. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) and Mary Cavanaugh (D-Redford Township), former state Rep. and Mayor of Royal Oak Jim Ellison and Washtenaw County Commissioner Annie Somerville (Ypsilanti). Congress Reproductive Freedom for All announced it was endorsing state Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) as he seeks the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 4th Congressional District. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink was endorsed by two former Michigan governors in the Democratic primary race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District; Jennifer Granholm and James Blanchard. Meridian Township Park Commission Chair Mary Nardo Farris also endorsed Brink. William Lawrence received the endorsement of U.S. Reps. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Florida), Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland). He was also endorsed by former Delhi Township Supervisor John Hayhoe, marking the first Republican endorsement of the MI-07 Democratic primary. Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor announced his endorsement of Christina Hines in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. The New Democrat Action Fund, representing over 100 U.S. House Democrats, endorsed state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield) for Congress in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Moss also announced 11 new endorsements from local officials including Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness and Oakland County Commissioners Yolanda Smith Charles, Ann Erickson Gault and Gwen Markham. State Rep. Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) was endorsed by the Council of Pastors and the Detroit Ecumenical Ministers Alliance in his bid for the Democratic nomination to Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. Governor Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been endorsed by former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as she seeks the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. She also received the endorsement of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson was endorsed by SMART Local 7 Michigan. Michigan Legislature Lisa McIntyre was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan in the Democratic primary race for Michigan’s 22nd House District. Alex Hawkins, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 55th House District, was endorsed by the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union. Katrina Manetta, Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 58th House District, was endorsed by state Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park), Sterling Heights Councilman Mike Radtke, United Steelworkers District 1, and the Eastern Michigan University College Democrats. Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald endorsed Amanda Treppa in the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 10th Senate District. State Sen. Chedrick Greene (D-Saginaw) announced he has secured endorsements from 22 labor unions, including the Michigan AFL-CIO and the MEA, in his re-election bid to represent Michigan’s 35th Senate District. The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association announced that its Political Action Committee Board of Trustees has endorsed 10 candidates for the Michigan House of Representatives and 7 candidates for the Michigan State Senate for the August primary election. The bipartisan mix includes; State Reps. Tyrone Carter (Democrat – HD 1), Alabas Farhat (Democrat – HD 3), Peter Herzberg (Democrat – HD 25), Pauline Wendzel (Republican – HD 39), Phil Green (Republican – HD 67), Kristian Grant (Democrat – HD 82), Bradley Slagh (Republican – HD 85) and Greg VanWoerkom (Republican – HD 88). Also former State Reps. Frank Liberati (Democrat – HD 2) and Lynn Afendoulis (Republican – HD 90). For Michigan Senate: state Sens. Veronica Klinefelt (Democrat – SD 11) and Roger Hauck (Republican – SD 34) , state Reps. Donni Steele, seeking Senate District 23 (Republican), Doug Wozniak, seeking Senate District 24 (Republican) and Matthew Bierlein, seeking Senate District 26 (Republican). Also, Mark Polsdofer (Democrat – SD 28) and John Wetzel (Republican – SD 31). Announcements LCV Victory Fund and Somos PAC announced a joint TV and digital advertising campaign targeting U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Holland Township) as he seeks reelection to Michigan’s 4th Congressional District. The campaign will run two spots in each district across platforms, “making a direct economic argument to working families about the real-world costs of their representatives’ votes.” Also of note U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-New York) will hold a series of rallies in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids on July 18 and 19 with Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. House of Representative candidates Donavan McKinney and Will Lawrence.