The opportunities for Democratic wins in the battleground state of Michigan are huge. There is a strong chance for the Democrats to flip the state House; in fact, there are Democrats running in every single race in both the state House and Senate! The Flint water crisis has also brought a lot of attention on the highly competitive governor’s race. Here’s the 411 on Michigan’s primary.
Michigan has its statewide primary election on Tuesday, August 7. If you’re a voter in Michigan, all the resources you need to vote are listed here; if you’re not in the state, consider sharing this post with friends or on social media to increase awareness and turnout!
Michigan Voter Resources
Confirm your voter registration: https://iwillvote.com/
Info for overseas/military voters here
Find your polling place here
Check ID requirements here
Early voting: none
Absentee voting info here
Michigan Politics: A Snapshot
• 1 Senator is up for re-election in 2018
• All 14 House Representatives are up for re-election
• Voted (razor-thin) +0.23 for Trump in 2016
• Current partisan breakdown of the state legislature:
>>> Governor (R)
>>> State Senate 27 (R) – 11 (D)
>>> State House 63 (R) – 47 (D)
Key Races
GOVERNOR
The sitting governor, Rick Snyder (R), is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Cook Political Report has rated this race as a Toss-Up. The Democratic candidates are:
Abdul El-Sayed – website
Shri Thanedar – website
Gretchen Whitmer – website
U.S. SENATE
Debbie Stabenow is the current Democratic incumbent. She is running again in November. Her seat is considered to be “Likely Democratic” and so is somewhat competitive. The Democrats must retain this seat to have any chance of flipping the Senate.
Debbie Stabenow – website
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTRICT 8 & 11
Cook Political Report has Districts 8 and 11 rated as the most competitive, and are good opportunities for the Democrats to flip.
District 8 candidates
Elissa Slotkin – website
Chris Smith – website
District 11 candidates
Tim Greimel – website
Suneel Gupta – website
Fayrouz Saad – website
Nancy Skinner – no website
Haley Stevens – website
STATE SENATE
All 38 seats in the Senate are up for re-election this year; furthermore, 26 of those are “open” seats, i.e. no incumbent is running in them. Democrats need to flip 2 seats to break the Republican supermajority. A list of the districts with re-elections and the candidates running for those seats can be found here.
STATE HOUSE
All 110 seats in the House are up for re-election this year. The Democrats need to flip 17 seats to retake the House. A list of the candidates running for the House can be found here.
NOTE: If you’re unsure which state district you’re in, type in your address at Open States to get that info.
A Final Note
For a more complete list of state races in the primary, visit Ballotpedia: Michigan Elections 2018. You can enter your address at 411Vote to see a sample ballot. To learn about events featuring candidates running for office, connect with your local chapter of the Michigan Democrats.
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