Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief

Michigan Advance

June 6, 2026

Democratic gubernatorial candidates and current Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was endorsed this week by the UAW with its Community Action Plan member-elected board choosing Benson in the race.

Benson was also endorsed this week by the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters and the Michigan-Ontario Council of Bishops.

Genesee County Sheriff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Swanson this week picked up three major labor endorsements, including Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2 of Michigan and two additional Teamsters local endorsements.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was also endorsed this week by the UAW in the high-stakes primary race.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, also in the Democratic hunt for the U.S. Senate nomination, was endorsed by Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Coleman A. Young II.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson won a straw poll this week conducted by Ottawa County Republican delegates, showing his strength with West Michigan Republicans.

U.S. Congressional District 7 Democratic candidate Will Lawrence was endorsed by former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, and announced that he plans to campaign with Lawrence in the coming weeks.

Bridget Brink, also a Democratic candidate for Congressional District 7, was endorsed this week by Delta Township Trustee Andrea Cascarilla.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is running for the Democratic nomination for the 11th Congressional District, was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign PAC.

Eric Chung, a Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, was endorsed this week by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

AFSCME Michigan 925 this week endorsed Democratic candidate Katrina Manetta in her campaign for the 58th State House District.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce endorsed a total of 72 state House and Senate candidates, including 61 incumbents. The full list is available here.

Yousef Rabhi, a longtime Michigan politician and a progressive Democratic candidate for mayor of Ann Arbor, was endorsed recently by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont.

Republican Phil Tanis put his hat in the ring to challenge U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga for the GOP nomination in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District.

U.S. Congressional District 7 candidate Matt Maasdam launched his first TV ads of the 2026 campaign. The advertisement is titled “My Job” and highlights his two decades of service as a Navy SEAL. It is part of a seven-figure TV, streaming and digital ad buy that will run in the Lansing, Detroit and Flint media markets.

The Michigan Advance, a hard-hitting, nonprofit news site, covers politics and policy across the state of Michigan through in-depth stories, blog posts, and social media updates, as well as top-notch progressive commentary. The Advance is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.