Familiar names advance in Michigan primary

DETROIT (CN) — Michigan voters headed to the primary polls on a damp, rainy Tuesday where they selected some experienced politicians to appear on the November ballot.

The primary is precursor to a pivotal November election, where a party change of just a few seats could result in the shift of power in Congress.

U.S. Senate

U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, coasted to a primary win as expected against Detroiter and actor Hill Harper. As of 9 p.m. Central Time, Slotkin had more than 75% of the vote. She aspires to assume the seat held by retiring Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson, a professor of political science at Wayne State University, expects Slotkin to perform well in November.

“She has a good track record of turning out her supporters,” she wrote in an email to Courthouse News.

Dan McKnight of Warren said he voted for Slotkin because she is open to compromise.

“I like her ability to reach across the aisle,” he said.

While Republicans have not won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report says the race is considered a toss-up.  

Slotkin raised more than $6 million for the bid during the last quarter and reported $9.5 million in reserves that boost her total to more than $22 million, according to her Federal Election Commission filing.

Lisa Alexander, also from Warren, said she voted for Harper because more diversity was needed in higher government and his policies are more suited to her views.

“I think he’s a little more progressive,” she said.

“I was a little upset they didn’t have a debate," she added. "That seems to be because she pulled out and I think that’s a little disrespectful to the voters.”

For Republicans, former U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers handily won his primary race and will face off against Stokin in November.

“Like Slotkin, he has experience and some name recognition,” said John Clark, a professor of political science at Western Michigan University.

Law professor John E. Mogk of Wayne State University believes that it is Slotkin’s race to lose but stressed that Rogers is a strong fundraiser who would likely get a boost from former President Donald Trump’s support. 

“Rogers is a very capable campaigner in his own right,” he noted.

Rogers angled to increase his name recognition with a roundtable meeting on Monday where he criticized Biden administration regulations that expanded the definition of prohibited discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. The meeting was attended by former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

He previously served in Congress for 14 years and chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

Recent polling suggests he has a good chance to beat Slotkin, though she leads polls by varying margins.

“I'd look for a very close general election race for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat,” Sarbaugh-Thompson said.

U.S. House — 8th District

The 8th Congressional District in Michigan was one of the 44 U.S. House races without an incumbent running. Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Kildee, from Flint Township, said he would not seek reelection, citing health concerns.

Republican Paul Junge, a former TV news anchor in Lansing, had a commanding lead of more than 70% of the vote in the race as of 11 p.m. Central Time.

“Junge's previous runs were against incumbents, so his chances in the general election are better in an open seat race,” Clark said.

Junge has more than $1 million in his campaign piggy bank, but the majority came from a loan he made himself, according to his Federal Election Commission filings.

Junge ran against mid-Michigan businesswoman Mary Draves, a former Dow Chemical executive, and trucking company owner Anthony Hudson, who was criticized for a campaign video that used an AI-generated voice of Martin Luther King Jr. to endorse him.

Democratic state Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet will likely face off against Junge as she had a lead of more than 55% of the vote at 11 p.m. She was endorsed by Kildee and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

McDonald Rivet, a former businesswoman, was elected to the state Senate in 2022 and was the first Democrat in more than a decade and the first woman to ever represent the Great Lakes Bay Region.

“Rivet has the advantage of representing much of the northern part of the district in the state Senate; that would be an advantage in the general election,” Clark said. The district includes Bay City, Midland and Saginaw.

U.S. House — 10th District

There was a tight race in the 10th Congressional District with former Macomb County prosecutor Carl Marlinga ahead by more than 2,600 votes as of 11 p.m. in a race against Republican Representative John James, who squeaked out a victory in 2022 against Marlinga by less than 2,000 votes.

Clark believes that James could still hang on to his seat in November no matter who the opponent with a possible “sophomore surge” that would extend his narrow margin in the district. 

“James has a done a good job of walking the line between the MAGA and more-traditional wings of the Republican party,” he said.

Early voting

Local clerks mailed absentee ballots out to Michigan voters on June 27. Registered voters were able to cast ballots early, in person, from July 27 to Aug. 4.

On July 30, the Secretary of State released preliminary statistics that revealed more than 709,000 Michigan voters had already cast their ballot. Of those, 10,621 used an early voting site and 698,673 sent in an absentee ballot.

By Aug. 5, the Secretary of State said more than 73,500 people voted at an in-person early voting site and more than 970,000 voters submitted an absentee ballot.

“Whether you choose to vote early, with an absentee ballot, or at the polls on Election Day, the process will be secure, and the results will be accurate,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a press release.

:We’ve heard from many voters who appreciate having convenient early options to participate in our elections," she added.

Eligible Michigan residents were allowed to register to vote in person at their local clerk’s office. Michigan law allows voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day.  

In 2022, a ballot measure was passed by voters that allowed the submission of votes before Election Day in the state. In each statewide and federal election, jurisdictions are required to provide at least nine days of early voting.

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