Michigan’s House is up for grabs this November — here are the policies at stake

LANSING — With the field set for November’s election, campaign season is gearing up with a national focus on Michigan’s Senate and presidential races.

But voters will also weigh in on the makeup of the state House, deciding whether to keep the slim Democratic majority or return control to Republicans.

These are the only legislative elections Michigan voters will see this year — the governor and state Senate are elected to four-year terms, so those races will be in 2026.

All of Michigan’s 110 state representatives will again face reelection this year. The House is currently split 56 Democrats to 54 Republicans.

“We’re going to continue to see thin majorities, one way or the other,” said Rep. John Fitzgerald, D-Wyoming. “And so it really comes down to, what are the policies that Michiganders are seeing come out of Lansing that are impacting their lives?”

In the last year and a half, the Democratic majority has passed policies repealing Michigan’s ‘right to work’ law, expanding abortion access, increasing education funding and instituting energy goals that would make Michigan carbon-neutral by 2050.

“I think if you look back over the last year and a half of policy, you can see we have invested in the small towns, the counties, the townships that make up Michigan and really make it a great place to call home,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald says that his party would prioritize healthcare access and supporting young professionals and families looking to make Michigan home.

“We are on the right track here in Michigan,” he said. “That is what I think we have accomplished, and we’re ready to go and execute again.”

Republicans have argued that Democrats have spent state tax dollars too liberally, including this year’s $83 billion budget. They say that a Republican-controlled House would provide a check on spending and areas like energy policy.

“I think we will look at that and make sure there are some guard rails to what they can do,” said Rep. John Roth, R-Interlochen. “It will have to be a pressure point we put on the budget towards the governor.”

While legislators will mostly focus on campaigning in the coming months, there appears to be a push for bipartisan action on several issues, including legislation to address a minimum wage increase and gradual elimination of tipped wages that was approved by the state Supreme Court.

“That’s something I think all of us want to work on a little bit,” Roth said. “We’ve got to take a look at that. That is going to be very, very hard on some of our Northern Michigan businesses.”

Fitzgerald agreed with Roth, saying businesses should be able to operate in stable economic conditions.

“We want to come forward with a plan that is sustainable, something that is going to weather the storm, whether the chamber flipped one seat one way or the other,” Fitzgerald said. “This needs to be something that business owners can depend on and count on, because they need stability to make sure that our local economies and our statewide economy is somewhere that they can do business. And that’s something that is a priority for us in the Democratic majority.”