State of Michigan Archives: on Government Reform
Shri Thanedar:
Oppose laws perpetuating "Big Lie" of rigged election
Summary by Gov. Whitmer (press release 10/4/21): House Bill 4838 claims to prohibit the electronic poll book at each election precinct or absent voter (AV) counting board from being connected to the internet after the polls open on
election day & until the results have been tabulated for that precinct. However, this legislation addresses a non-existent problem because poll books currently are not connected to the internet [during] election day.Legislative Outcome:
Passed House 77-31-2 on Aug/17/21; State Rep. Shri Thanedar voted NO; passed Senate 21-15-0 on Sept/30/21; Vetoed Oct/3/21.
Veto message by Governor Gretchen Whitmer: Today I am returning several election-related bills [which]
suppress the vote or perpetuate the "Big Lie": the calculated disinformation campaign to discredit the 2020 election. I will have no part in any effort that grants an ounce of credence to this deception, so injurious to our democracy.
Source: Michigan State Legislature voting records HB4838
Aug 17, 2021
Gretchen Whitmer:
Oppose laws perpetuating "Big Lie" of rigged election
Summary by Gov. Whitmer (press release 10/4/21): House Bill 4838 claims to prohibit the electronic poll book at each election precinct or absent voter (AV) counting board from being connected to the internet after the polls open on
election day & until the results have been tabulated for that precinct. However, this legislation addresses a non-existent problem because poll books currently are not connected to the internet [during] election day.Legislative Outcome:
Passed House 77-31-2 on Aug/17/21; passed Senate 21-15-0 on Sept/30/21; Vetoed Oct/3/21.
Veto message by Governor Gretchen Whitmer: Today I am returning several election-related bills [which]
suppress the vote or perpetuate the "Big Lie": the calculated disinformation campaign to discredit the 2020 election. I will have no part in any effort that grants an ounce of credence to this deception, so injurious to our democracy.
Source: Michigan State Legislature voting records HB4838
Oct 3, 2021
Abdul El-Sayed:
Strict separation of church and state
I demand the strict separation of church and state, and would seek to uphold and defend that separation. I will defend the right of all Americans to pray as they choose to pray (or not to pray),
just as I will oppose any discrimination by businesses and public institutions against our LGBTQ community.
Source: 2018 Michigan Gubernatorial website AbdulForMichigan.com
Nov 1, 2017
Abdul El-Sayed:
Fundamental right to be heard at the ballot box
Voting is an essential component of our democracy, and yet many Michiganders lack access to this fundamental right because of voter ID laws and lack of access to polling places.
I want to make sure that all Michiganders have a chance for their voices to be heard at the ballot box. As governor, I will work to:-
Automatically register applicants with a Michigan ID to vote.
- Promote no-reason absentee voting and an expansion of early voting.
-
Designate voting day a state holiday so working people can get to the ballot box.
- Push to re-enfranchise those who are currently incarcerated.
Source: 2018 Michigan Governor campaign website AbdulForMichigan.com
Mar 21, 2018
Alan Keyes:
Surrendering moral government to courts surrenders freedom
There may be terrible consequences for being good. There may be suffering, death, & deprivation. But we still have the choice. We can spit it all in the eye, or we can stand strong for what we know to be right. In that death we would vindicate the libert
that God has put in our hearts: the liberty to choose His way. That means when we surrender moral government to the courts, we have surrendered the very essence of freedom and its only real meaning, and we will not be free again until we get it back.
Source: Rally for the Ten Commandments, Hillsdale, Michigan
Feb 7, 2004
Bill Schuette:
Terminate government pensions for those caught embezzling
As Attorney General, Bill held government officials accountable with his Public Integrity Unit by bringing
350 charges against former government officials, including the termination of taxpayer-funded pensions for 13 ex-Detroit principals who embezzled millions from schoolchildren.
Source: 2018 Michigan Governor campaign website BillSchuette.com
Aug 31, 2018
Bill Schuette:
Wants tax returns released from all top elected officials
Bureaucrats and elected officials must work for taxpayers, not look out for themselves. Bill will bring the highest ethical standards to Lansing with his plan to require personal financial disclosure for elected officials, make our
legislature part-time, mandate that top officials release their tax returns, and expand freedom of information laws to include the Governor and Lieutenant Governor's offices.
Source: 2018 Michigan Governor campaign website BillSchuette.com
Aug 31, 2018
Bill Schuette:
Supports term limits and campaign finance disclosure
Q: Do you support limits on the number of terms of the Governor?A: Yes.
Q: Of State Senators and Representatives?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q:
Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
A: Yes.
Q: Should candidates for state legislature be required to sign an affidavit affirming that their commercials are truthful?
A: Yes.
Source: Michigan Legislative 1996 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1996
Bill Schuette:
Opposes ballot initative 2 (gerrymandered districts ok)
Q: Support Michigan's redistricting ballot initiative 2 to address charges of partisan gerrymandering?Bill Schuette (R): Opposes initiative. Asked MI Supreme Court to reject for creating "a fourth branch of government."
Gretchen Whitmer (D):
Yes. "Gerrymandering continues to disenfranchise voters in Michigan." Don't let partisan legislators draw political boundaries.
Q: Voting Rights: Support stricter or broader voting and registration rules?
Bill Schuette (R): Stricter. Supported end to straight-ticket voting.
Gretchen Whitmer (D): Opposes strict voter ID laws, supports straight-ticket, automatic registration, letting anyone vote absentee.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Michigan Governor race
Oct 9, 2018
Bill Schuette:
Oppose disclosure for who paid for political ads
Q: Campaign Finance: Require political ads to disclose largest funders? Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?Bill Schuette (R): Unknown on limiting campaign spending or donations.
Supports candidates releasing tax returns. Backed Americans for Prosperity not disclosing donors for their political ads.
Gretchen Whitmer (D): As of 2004 supported disclosure of ad sponsors. Reverse "Citizens United on steroids legislation."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Michigan Governor race
Oct 9, 2018
Bob Young:
Cut costs; make government accountable
Bob Young is NOT a politician. He is a judge who will go to Washington D.C. and lay down the law. As a rule of law Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme court, Bob reformed the judicial branch by reducing costs,
adding accountability and imposing performance measures. Out of control government needs accountability and it is time to take away Debbie Stabenow's taxpayer funded credit card and send her home!
Source: 2018 Michigan Senatorial website BobYoungForMichigan.com
Oct 1, 2017
Debbie Stabenow:
Repeal Citizens United; fight big money in politics
Q: Campaign Finance: Require political ads to disclose their funders? Support Citizens United decision for unlimited political donations from corporations & unions? John James (R): No public statement found.
Debbie Stabenow (D): Yes. A leader in the fight against big money in politics. Co-sponsored updated DISCLOSE Act. "Would gladly repeal Citizens United."
Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Michigan Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Debbie Stabenow:
Voter ID places undue burden on voters
Q: Elections: Support Michigan's redistricting ballot initiative to address charges of partisan gerrymandering?John James (R): No public statement found.
Debbie Stabenow (D): Strongly supports. Voting districts should be drawn fairly,
without "strange configurations."
Q: Voting Rights: Support stricter voting rules like photo-ID requirements?
John James (R): No public statement found.
Debbie Stabenow (D): No. Place undue burden on voters and haven't increased voting integrity.
Source: CampusElect.org Issue Guide on 2018 Michigan Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Donald Trump:
Get rid of waste, fraud, & abuse in every single agency
Q: Your proposed tax cut would add $10 trillion to the nation's debt. You insist that you could make up for a good deal of that by cutting waste, fraud, & abuse.TRUMP: Correct.
Q: Like what? And please be specific.
TRUMP: Department of Education.
We're getting rid of Common Core. Department of Environmental Protection. We're going take a tremendous amount out. The waste, fraud, and abuse is massive.
Q: But your numbers don't add up. The total budget for the education department is $78 billion.
The entire budget for the EPA, $8 billion. The deficit this year is $544 billion. Your numbers don't add up. You say that Medicare could save $300 billion a year negotiating lower drug prices. But Medicare total only spends $78 billion a year on drugs.
Q: But that doesn't really cut the federal deficit.
TRUMP: Of course it is. We are going to buy things for less money.
Source: 2016 Fox News GOP debate in Detroit Michigan
Mar 3, 2016
Garrett Soldano:
Fought to revoke health law granting emergency powers
As a citizen Co-Chair of the Unlock Michigan campaign, I led the fight to revoke the 1945 law that allowed Whitmer to abuse her power. However, our work is not done - the health department continues to target students, businesses and workers,
and their powers must be limited. As Governor, I will work with the legislature to put freedom first and restore power where it belongs - THE PEOPLE!
Source: 2022 MI Governor campaign website GarrettForMichigan.com
Dec 22, 2021
Garrett Soldano:
Expand Voter ID, crack down hard on fraud
An audit of the 2020 election will unveil the truth, identify ways to improve our voting process and help restore faith in future elections. I support a FULL FORENSIC AUDIT - what do the Democrats have to hide? Because this Governor and Attorney General
refuses to secure our elections, it will take new leadership in Lansing to get the job done. My administration will expand Voter ID, crack down hard on fraud, make sure every precinct is secure and that every vote is legal.
Source: 2022 MI Governor campaign website GarrettForMichigan.com
Dec 22, 2021
Gary Peters:
Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees
[Peters spoke] at an event held by the Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus of Muskegon. Peters said he supported the senate's Democratic-led rule change to weaken the power of the filibuster [which has blocked all Obama nominees]. "I support the
changes in the rules," he said. "I support the old filibuster." He explained that he thinks the old rules have been abused. "Nominees have been stopped simply for politics. I think it's a big reason the American public are frustrated with Congress."
Source: Muskegon Chronicle on 2014 Michigan Senate race
Nov 23, 2013
George W. Bush:
Agrees to no negative ads; stop tearing each other down
Q: [to Bush & Forbes]: Will you agree not to run any negative ads against each other?FORBES. The answer is if being negative is telling the truth I will continue to tell the truth. People deserve it, we deserve an honest and open and vigorous debate.
And if a man breaks a pledge [re 1997 tax cuts], the voters ought to know it.
BUSH: I'll run positive ads. Listen, I cut taxes as the governor. That's a fact. That is the bottom line. The people of my state know my record and they endorsed it
with an election. And yet if you look at [Forbes'] ads it doesn't say that. I don't mind debates. I do mind Republicans tearing each other down.
FORBES. You're not going to win the White House by making pledges that are
then broken. We've been through that before, particularly on taxes. A pledge made should be a pledge kept. And in Texas it was your own party that saved you from breaking that pledge. You tried to break it, they blocked you.
Source: (cross-ref to Forbes) GOP Debate in Michigan
Jan 10, 2000
Gretchen Whitmer:
No photo ID for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:A person who applies in person to register to vote shall identify himself or herself by presenting an official state identification card issued to that person. The secretary of state shall develop a voter registration
training program for third-party voter registration organizations that teaches the proper procedure for taking a voter registration application.Veto Summary:SB754 precludes voter registration groups from receiving and delivering
registration applications until at least one member of their organization has received training. While our current Secretary of State would be very proactive on offering training, it is important to ensure that future officials provide proper training.
Voting rights are precious and we need to work especially hard to make it possible for people to vote.
Legislative Outcome:Sen. Whitmer voted NAY; \passed Senate 26-11-1, Feb. 14; passed House 66-43-1, June 12; vetoed by Gov., July 3
Source: Michigan Legislative voting records on SB751 & SB754
Feb 14, 2012
Gretchen Whitmer:
Promote universal voter access
It is too hard to register and to vote in Michigan. Everyone who applies for a driver's license or state ID should be automatically registered to vote, and any registered voters should be able to vote absentee or by mail.
As a legislator, I fought to ensure valid ballots from our service members overseas were counted, to prevent voters from being turned away at the polls, and to allow same-day voter registration.
Source: 2018 Michigan Gubernatorial website GretchenWhitmer.com
Nov 1, 2017
Gretchen Whitmer:
Opposes gerrymandering; opposes voter ID
Q: Support Michigan's redistricting ballot initiative 2 to address charges of partisan gerrymandering?Bill Schuette (R): Opposes initiative. Asked MI Supreme Court to reject for creating "a fourth branch of government."
Gretchen Whitmer (D):
Yes. "Gerrymandering continues to disenfranchise voters in Michigan." Don't let partisan legislators draw political boundaries.
Q: Voting Rights: Support stricter or broader voting and registration rules?
Bill Schuette (R): Stricter. Supported end to straight-ticket voting.
Gretchen Whitmer (D): Opposes strict voter ID laws, supports straight-ticket, automatic registration, letting anyone vote absentee.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Michigan Governor race
Oct 9, 2018
Gretchen Whitmer:
Disclose political donors; reverse Citizens United
Q: Require political ads to disclose largest funders? Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?Bill Schuette (R): Supports candidates releasing tax returns. Backed Americans for Prosperity
not disclosing donors for their political ads.
Gretchen Whitmer (D): As of 2004 supported disclosure of ad sponsors. Reverse "Citizens United on steroids legislation" that lets Super PACS raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in Michigan."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Michigan Governor race
Oct 9, 2018
Gretchen Whitmer:
Holding government accountable: Michigan Sunshine Plan
Michigan's lack of transparency and accountability earned us an F on a 2015 Center for Public Integrity's survey. Michigan is now dead last in the nation for state ethics and transparency laws.My Michigan Sunshine Plan will rewrite the rules in
Lansing to work for regular families by making state government more open, transparent, and accountable to taxpayers. It's time to get it done, so we can infuse integrity in Governance and earn back public confidence.
Source: 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial website GretchenWhitmer.com
Mar 24, 2020
Gretchen Whitmer:
Would be nice to have national strategy working with states
Q: Is that one of the problems here, that tests are being put out on the market, but you're not even being informed about it?
WHITMER: In some cases, yes, we will get tests into our health care providers, and we're dependent on them to let us know that that's happened.
That's not a great way to run this system. It would be nice if we had a national strategy that was working with the states, so every state knew precisely what was coming in.
But we governors are doing the best we can with what we have got. We could use some assistance, though, to make sure that those supply chain issues are addressed.
Source: CNN 2020 "State of the Union" on 2022 Michigan Governor race
Apr 19, 2020
James Craig:
Called for forensic audit of 2020 Michigan election results
Craig also endorsed a "forensic audit" of 2020 presidential election results in Michigan--similar to what has taken place in Arizona. Calls for such an audit have largely been criticized by elections officials and experts,
who've described the process as challenging the integrity of the state's election. Officials in Michigan, both Republican and Democratic, have pointed to no sign of widespread voter fraud in last year's election.
Source: The Holland Sentinel on 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial race
Sep 14, 2021
Jennifer Granholm:
Voter ID laws, limits on early voting are about suppression
In November, five million eligible voters will find it harder to exercise their rights in America -- 150 voter suppression laws have been introduced in 30 state legislatures across the country. The most common tactics: requiring photo ID, restricting
registration drives, limiting early voting and imposing onerous residency requirements. Who do these laws most directly affect? The poor, the elderly, minorities and the young. And how do those groups typically vote? Democratic.
Source: Michigan Radio on 2014 Michigan Gubernatorial race
May 23, 2012
John Moolenaar:
Require photo ID for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:A person who applies in person to register to vote shall identify himself or herself by presenting an official state identification card issued to that person. The secretary of state shall develop a voter registration
training program for third-party voter registration organizations that teaches the proper procedure for taking a voter registration application.Veto Summary:SB754 precludes voter registration groups from receiving and delivering
registration applications until at least one member of their organization has received training. While our current Secretary of State would be very proactive on offering training, it is important to ensure that future officials provide proper training.
Voting rights are precious and we need to work especially hard to make it possible for people to vote.
Legislative Outcome:Sen. Moolenaar voted YEA; passed Senate 26-11-1, Feb. 14; passed House 66-43-1, June 12; vetoed by Gov., July 3
Source: Michigan Legislative voting records on SB 754
Feb 14, 2012
Marcia Squier:
Repeal Citizens United; publicly fund campaigns
Q: Would you support a Constitutional amendment repealing Citizens United?Marcia Squier: I would wholeheartedly support an amendment that would repeal Citizens United. We desperately need to get the money out of politics.
Campaigns should be publicly funded. Campaign donations should be strictly limited and enforced. Broadcasting stations and journalists should should be banned from making donations, as well as the companies that produce anything related to the
electoral process, such as the voting machine manufacturers, which by the way, I believe should be banned in favor of hand-counted paper ballots, or at the very least, open-sourced coding software with audit-able paper trails and independent oversight.
For my campaign, I am not soliciting campaign donations at this time.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (Dem.): Yes, I firmly believe we need campaign finance reform.
Source: VotersGuide on 2016 Michigan House race
Nov 1, 2016
Marcia Squier:
Dem. superdelegates cheated Michigan voters of their choice
[Marcia Squier's posting on CrowdPAC.com, "Why you should support Marcia Squier"]: I had never belonged to any party, but had been an active voter for over 20 years.
I joined the green party in the summer of 2016, after it was revealed that the Democratic Party had a solid candidate for president, but they cheated him at every level imaginable.
I ran as a green party candidate against a superdelegate in Congress who, along with every other Michigan superdelegate, voted unanimously against the candidate [Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT] who won the Michigan democratic primaries.
I felt like Michigan's voice didn't matter because each superdelegate vote negated tens of thousands of votes.
Source: CrowdPAC editorial for 2018 Michigan Senate race
Jul 13, 2017
Marcia Squier:
Easier voter registration; restrict superdelegates
Q: Do you support easier voter registration?A: Strongly support.
Q: You posted on CrowdPAC on July 13, "Michigan's voice didn't matter because each superdelegate vote negated thousands of votes." How would you change the superdelegate rules?
A:
I am not a Democrat, so I would have no pull within that party to change their rules, but I would support legislation that forced the Democratic Party to pay for its own primaries instead of the states if they continue to weight the vote totals this way.
Source: OnTheIssues interview on 2018 Michigan Senate race
Jul 20, 2017
Mike Bishop:
Limit campaign contributions; but no state funding
Do you support limiting the following types of political contributions? Individual?A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance
information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support voting on-line?
A: Yes.
Source: 2000 Michigan National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 2000
Mike Bishop:
Limit people driven by thirst for power, pride, and envy
Q: The founders established pure democracy in the Constitution because they believed that it is the best form of government to ensure the safety and equitable treatment of all citizens?Bishop: Strongly Agree
Q: What in the nature of mankind caused
America's Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers within the Constitution?
Bishop: The nature of mankind drove America's Founders to carefully define, separate and limit powers within the Constitution.
Man can be driven to accomplish great things when motives are pure and outcome is driven by humility and Godly intent. However, man is inherently flawed and, there are people whom are driven by a thirst for power, pride, and envy.
By limiting powers and creating checks and balances, our Founders ensured an environment where no one man or woman could force change alone.
Q: People should be able to vote without photo identification?
Bishop: Strongly Disagree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 Michigan Senate race
Sep 30, 2014
Mike Bishop:
Make state legislature part-time, with pay cuts
- Supports a Part-time Legislature
Since 1999, Mike Bishop has led the fight to make Michigan's legislature a part-time legislature. Mike sponsored legislative action several times throughout the years when he was in the
legislature to enact a part-time legislature. Mike believes that the legislature would be best served being a citizen-driven part-time legislature. - Cutting elected officials' salaries
As a legislator, Mike Bishop sponsored legislation to cut public official salaries, including his own as a Senator. - 100% Attendance Record Fighting for Conservative Principles
Mike Bishop never missed a vote in all his years as a state legislator and has a 100% attendance record. He is a principled conservative who has fought for us.
Source: 2014 Michigan House campaign website, ElectMikeBishop.com
Nov 4, 2014
Mike Bouchard:
Supports line-item veto on spending bills
I know from firsthand experience that spending is not a partisan issue. In many cases, Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats. To eliminate wasteful spending contained in Congressional Appropriations bills, the President needs a line-item veto as
most governors have, including Michigan's. The President has proposed legislation that would provide him with a limited, constitutionally sound veto. I support providing the President with this common sense authority to help rein in all spending offenses
Source: Campaign booklet, "Renewing Michigan's Economy"
Sep 14, 2006
Mitt Romney:
Line-item veto can & should pass constitutional muster
Q: What about the line-item veto?GIULIANI: The line-item veto is unconstitutional. I took Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court and beat him. It's unconstitutional. What the heck can you do about that if you're a strict constructionist?
ROMNEY: I'm in
favor of the line-item veto. I had it, used it 844 times. I want to see Libby Dole's line-item veto put in place. I'd have never gone to the Supreme Court and said it's unconstitutional.
Q: Do you believe it is?
ROMNEY: I believe the line-item veto,
if properly structured, passes constitutional muster. I'm in favor of the line-item veto to make sure that the president is able to help cut out pork and waste.
GIULIANI: You have to be honest with people. The line-item veto is unconstitutional. The
Supreme Court has ruled on it. I am in favor of a line-item veto, except you have to do it legally. If I had let Pres. Clinton take $250 million away from the people of my city illegally and unconstitutionally, I wouldn't have been much of a mayor.
Source: 2007 Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan
Oct 9, 2007
Peter Hoekstra:
Setting 12-year term limit a mistake; after serving 18 years
time and time and time again to increase spending," Durant said. "Earmarks, entitlements and all these things that put our country at risk: you can't do it for 18 years and then say 'Well, I'm going to change.'"Hoekstra stood up to the shots, saying
he made a mistake by setting a 12-year mark for his departure from the government. He pointed out his victory margins increased after he broke the promise. "The most important term limits are the ones people impose," he said.
Source: Nate Reens in Michigan Live on 2012 Michigan Senate debates
May 14, 2012
Rashida Tlaib:
No photo ID for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:A person who applies in person to register to vote shall identify himself or herself by presenting an official state identification card issued to that person. The secretary of state shall develop a voter registration
training program for third-party voter registration organizations that teaches the proper procedure for taking a voter registration application.Veto Summary:SB754 precludes voter registration groups from receiving and delivering
registration applications until at least one member of their organization has received training. While our current Secretary of State would be very proactive on offering training, it is important to ensure that future officials provide proper training.
Voting rights are precious and we need to work especially hard to make it possible for people to vote.
Legislative Outcome:Rep. Tlaib voted NAY; passed Senate 26-11-1, Feb. 14; passed House 66-43-1, June 12; vetoed by Gov., July 3
Source: Michigan Legislative voting records on SB751 & SB754
Jun 12, 2012
Rick Snyder:
Michigan Dashboard: measure progress & present it publicly
We are creating a means by which to actually measure Michigan's progress. I find it curious that we've had State of the State addresses for decades. Yet I don't know of one where we actually had a report card to gauge our success. Government tends to
avoid measures and metrics, since it could lead to criticism. It is time for that attitude to disappear. True success is based on achieving real results for real people. We're going to have tough, hard measurements. Our achievements or lack of progress
will be evident, so tonight I'm presenting the Michigan Dashboard.I will present a summary of this dashboard in every State of the State address I give. It is composed of 21 different measures in five key areas. The measurable areas are economic
growth, health and education, value for government, quality of life and public safety. These areas align with how we've organized the executive branch into the group executive structure.
Source: 2011 Michigan State of the State Address
Jan 19, 2011
Rick Snyder:
Vetoed voter identification bill
Tea party conservatives criticize the first-term governor for vetoing a voter identification bill, proposing higher fees and taxes to fix Michigan roads, and supporting an Obama administration bailout of the auto industry early in the term.
Snyder, finishing the third year of his first four-year term in the only political office he's ever held, says he's neither
RINO nor radical, but a governor who's doing what he can to turn the state's economy fully to the positive. "I'm a person that doesn't get overly focused on politics,"
Snyder said. "I don't spend time worrying about what the far right or the far left thinks. It's really a case of, 'Here's a problem, here's common sense, here's a solution.'"
Source: Macomb Daily on 2014 Michigan Governor race
Dec 10, 2013
Rick Snyder:
No photo ID for absentee voting
Legislative Summary:A person who applies in person to register to vote shall identify himself or herself by presenting an official state identification card issued to that person. The secretary of state shall develop a voter registration
training program for third-party voter registration organizations that teaches the proper procedure for taking a voter registration application.Veto Summary:SB754 precludes voter registration groups from receiving and delivering
registration applications until at least one member of their organization has received training. While our current Secretary of State would be very proactive on offering training, it is important to ensure that future officials provide proper training.
Voting rights are precious and we need to work especially hard to make it possible for people to vote.
Legislative Outcome:Passed Senate 26-11-1, Feb. 14; passed House 66-43-1, June 12; vetoed by Gov. Snyder, July 3
Source: Michigan Legislative voting records on SB754 & SB803
Jul 3, 2012
Rick Wade:
Government doesn't invent but does create business framework
America has always looked to entrepreneurs and private sector innovators to generate the continuous flow of new technologies and new ideas we need to keep our economy going forward. This is who we're trying to help.We know very well that lawmakers
don't invent. But the government does create the conditions--the framework--in which businesses operate. And that matters. Because just as it is foolish to look to government for all of our answers, it is equally foolish to imagine that government has no
productive role to play.
Think for a moment about the federal government building the interstate highway system, which for over half a century has sped the movement of goods across this country and delivered us immeasurable economic benefits. You'd be
hard-pressed to find anyone today who didn't think that was a good investment. But back in the 1930s, one prominent critic said, "it would be the first major step toward state socialism under which the federal government would take over private industry.
Source: Remarks at US Regional Business Tour, Battle Creek, Michigan
Apr 6, 2010
Rudy Giuliani:
Frivolous lawsuits eat up 2.2% of GDP
[We need to] do something about legal reform. It's 2.2 percent of our GDP now is spent on all of these frivolous lawsuits.
It's double any other industrialized nation. We don't get control of that, that's another way in which we're going to eat up our future.
Source: 2007 Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan
Oct 9, 2007
Rudy Giuliani:
Supports line-item veto, but Clinton's was unconstitutional
Q: What about the line-item veto?GIULIANI: The line-item veto is unconstitutional. I took Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court and beat him. It's unconstitutional. What the heck can you do about that if you're a strict constructionist?
ROMNEY: I'm in
favor of the line-item veto. I had it, used it 844 times. I want to see Libby Dole's line-item veto put in place. I'd have never gone to the Supreme Court and said it's unconstitutional.
Q: Do you believe it is?
ROMNEY: I believe the line-item veto,
if properly structured, passes constitutional muster. I'm in favor of the line-item veto to make sure that the president is able to help cut out pork and waste.
GIULIANI: You have to be honest with people. The line-item veto is unconstitutional. The
Supreme Court has ruled on it. I am in favor of a line-item veto, except you have to do it legally. If I had let Pres. Clinton take $250 million away from the people of my city illegally and unconstitutionally, I wouldn't have been much of a mayor.
Source: 2007 Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan
Oct 9, 2007
Steve Forbes:
Negative ads are OK if they tell the truth
Q: [to Bush & Forbes]: Will you agree not to run any negative ads against each other?FORBES. The answer is if being negative is telling the truth I will continue to tell the truth. People deserve it, we deserve an honest and open and vigorous debate.
And if a man breaks a pledge [re 1997 tax cuts], the voters ought to know it.
BUSH: I'll run positive ads. Listen, I cut taxes as the governor. That's a fact. That is the bottom line. The people of my state know my record and they endorsed it
with an election. And yet if you look at [Forbes'] ads it doesn't say that. I don't mind debates. I do mind Republicans tearing each other down.
FORBES. You're not going to win the White House by making pledges that are
then broken. We've been through that before, particularly on taxes. A pledge made should be a pledge kept. And in Texas it was your own party that saved you from breaking that pledge. You tried to break it, they blocked you.
Source: (cross-ref to Bush) GOP Debate in Michigan
Jan 10, 2000
Terri Lynn Land:
Super PACs are committed to Michigan
GOP candidate Terri Lynn Land is welcoming controversial super PAC money into her race to win Michigan's open Senate seat. Land [told an audience] that money raised by super PACs will be a resource in her campaign during a speech she gave last month at
the Republican Women of Leelanau County Garden Party.Created in the wake of the landmark Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, super PACs can raise unlimited funds from corporations, unions, associations and individuals to advocate for or against
candidates, but money must be spent on independent political activity.
"The Citizens United lawsuit actually started here in Michigan," Land said. "And that changed the dynamics of politics, restricted the parties, but it let individuals and others
raise resources to do that. Our campaign has talked to a lot of those folks," she added. "They're committed to Michigan. They really want to support us here in Michigan. And if we can do this in Michigan, that means they win in the other states."
Source: Huffington Post coverage of 2014 Michigan Senate debates
Sep 25, 2013
Terri Lynn Land:
Allow "dark money": secret campaign donations for issue ads
The State Bar of Michigan this month urged requiring everyone who contributes money to Michigan judicial campaigns to be publicly identified. It said a 2004 decision by then-Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land allowing those who bankroll so-called
judicial "issue ads" to remain anonymous undermines the integrity of the judicial system & conflicts with more recent US Supreme Court decisions requiring such donors to be identified. Issue ads typically attack a candidate without endorsing an opponent.
The State Bar, which represents 43,600 Michigan lawyers and judges, said secret contributions--dark money--prevent the public from knowing when [an elected] judge is being asked to rule on an issue involving a major donor. Dark money increasingly is
playing a role in Michigan judicial campaigns. Last fall, someone secretly spent $2 million on misleading attack ads in an unsuccessful effort to defeat an incumbent Oakland County Circuit Court judge.
Source: Bridge Magazine coverage of 2014 Michigan Senate debates
Sep 16, 2013
Tudor Dixon:
Empower Michiganders to make own decisions on health & work
Tudor Dixon is a wife, mother of four, cancer survivor, and television news host. She worked in the steel industry for nearly a decade before pursuing a career in public relations and media. Tudor is running for Governor to turn the page on
Governor Whitmer's record of failure and finger-pointing. Tudor is running for Governor because she wants Michiganders to have the tools they need to achieve their American Dream--and for the government to get out of their way so they can.
Tudor doesn't believe the government needs to tell Michiganders who to visit, what to do, where to go, or when it's safe to get on with their lives. Tudor will empower Michiganders to make their own decisions about their health, work, and future.
Her grandmother died alone last fall when her nursing home forced her into a hospice to accommodate Gretchen Whitmer's cruel and disastrous nursing home policies.
Source: 2021 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website TudorDixon.com
Jul 5, 2021
Tudor Dixon:
We need ethics and legal reforms to restore transparency
Governor Whitmer has weaponized government agencies to scare Michiganders into complying with her big-government mandates. Whitmer overstepped executive authority as Governor and denied the people their voice in government by refusing to work with the
legislature. And Whitmer has forced Michiganders to follow rules and make hard sacrifices that she wouldn't make herself.
Tudor believes we need common-sense ethics and legal reforms that restore transparency, rein in bureaucratic power and hold bad actors accountable.
Tudor will use common sense policies to reverse the economic harm caused by Whitmer's job-killing decisions and restore Michigan's heritage as a state of innovation, opportunity, and upward economic mobility.
Source: 2021 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website TudorDixon.com
Jul 5, 2021
Tudor Dixon:
Supports claims that 2020 election was stolen
Dixon, along with other supporters of former President Donald Trump, has questioned the results of Michigan's election, despite a lack of evidence. Dixon wrote "Steal an election then hide behind calls for unity and leftists lap it up" in a
Nov. 8 reply to a tweet from Trump. Dixon was the emcee at a May 1 rally outside the DeltaPlex in Walker where former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and other speakers falsely claimed the election was stolen.
Source: Grand Rapids MLive.com on 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial race
May 7, 2021
Tudor Dixon:
Cut, reduce, or streamline 40% of regulatory code in 4 years
Slash 40% of Regulations in 4 Years: Cut, reduce, or streamline 40% of Michigan's enormous regulatory code in four years.
Unleash entrepreneurs, unlock economic growth, and attract new businesses and workforce talent to the state.
Source: 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website TudorDixon.com
Aug 3, 2022
Tudor Dixon:
Enact strong Voter ID, ban drop boxes
- Sign Strong Voter ID Laws: Sign legislation to make Michigan's Voter ID laws the strongest in the country.
- Reform Mail Ballots: Codify signature matching requirements and strengthen criminal penalties for forging ballot signatures. Ban
ballot harvesting and drop boxes. Enact strict chain of custody and records retention requirements for all mail-in ballots.
- Clean up the Qualified Voter File to get rid of the thousands of dead and long moved out-of-state voters on the rolls.
Source: 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website TudorDixon.com
Aug 3, 2022
Gretchen Whitmer:
Expand voting rights, protect election workers
I'm looking at my daughters and thinking of all the young people in our state. They're smart, engaged, and fighting for their future--record turnout on campuses last November proved it. I know Secretary of State Benson will ensure their voices--and the
voices of every Michigander--are heard in every election. Together, we are going to expand voting rights, protect election workers, and build on last year's bipartisan law to help military members and their families overseas have their votes counted.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Michigan legislature
Jan 25, 2023
Elissa Slotkin:
Proud to have never taken a dime of corporate PAC money
In order to preserve our democracy, we must also reform the very political system we use to elect our leaders. With trust in our elected officials at an all-time low and with the foundation of our democracy at stake, Elissa is proud to have never
taken a dime of corporate PAC money--not ever. In Congress, she has led the charge to ban corporate PACs and pushed leaders in both parties to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks.
Source: 2024 Michigan Senate campaign website ElissaSlotkin.com
Apr 11, 2023
Perry Johnson:
Disqualifying me from ballot disenfranchises millions
Perry , a Republican gubernatorial hopeful who was disqualified from appearing on the ballot for the August primary, filed a federal lawsuit in a last-ditch attempt to stop ballots from being printed without his name.Johnson was one of five
Republican gubernatorial contenders who were disqualified from appearing on the ballot after state election officials found issues with petition signatures submitted by their respective campaigns. In the complaint, Johnson's campaign argues that
Michigan voters would be disenfranchised if he was not placed on the ballot, writing, "it is in the public's interest to ensure that the fraudulent actions of a few do not cause the disenfranchisement of millions of Michigan voters who support and
want to vote for Johnson as their Governor."
Johnson's campaign turned in over 23,000 signatures, but Bureau of Elections staff found around 9,400 of the signatures to be invalid, leaving Johnson short of the 15,000 required to get on the ballot.
Source: Detroit Free Press on 2022 Michigan Gubernatorial race
Jun 6, 2022
Mike Rogers:
Get government out of the way; unleash American innovation
[On campaign announcement]: "America under Biden and his cronies is going in the wrong direction," the Republican argued in a campaign launch
video. "We can do better, and that's why
Source: FOX News on 2024 Michigan Senate race
Sep 6, 2023
Mike Rogers:
Opposes overturning fair elections; Biden lawfully won
Rogers initially worked as a member of former President Donald Trump's transition team as a national security adviser and was interviewed as a possible FBI director.
But he criticized efforts to overturn fair elections, including those by Trump and his allies in 2020. He has said that he believes Biden was lawfully elected.
Source: Detroit Free Press on 2024 Michigan Senate race
Sep 6, 2023
James Craig:
Regulations act as an obstacle for innovation, stifle growth
With the power it wields, the regulatory state has become the unelected fourth branch of government. The regulatory state is comprised of agencies and departments in the executive branch responsible for carrying out and implementing the
laws passed by congress through regulations. In principle, regulations which define the scope and reach of laws should be a net positive for society. In practice, however, regulations act as an obstacle for innovation and stifle economic growth.
Source: 2024 Michigan Senate campaign website ChiefJamesCraig.com
Oct 10, 2023
James Craig:
Congressional term limits would help fix dysfunction
Term limits for members of Congress would go a long way towards fixing the dysfunction in Washington. Allowing politicians to serve unlimited terms misaligns the incentives, encouraging them to prioritize securing reelection over being effective
advocates for their constituents. To that end, I propose term limits of two terms in the U.S. Senate (12 years) and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (12 years).
Source: 2024 Michigan Senate campaign website ChiefJamesCraig.com
Oct 10, 2023
Gary Peters:
Demanded answers on destruction of USAID documents
Senators Jeanne Shaheen & Gary Peters pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio for information on whether the agency's directive to shred and burn certain classified documents complied with the Federal Records Act, the federal law that requires the
preservation of government records. The directive instructed staff to clear out classified safes and personnel documents through a combination of shredding and burn bags.[The Senators wrote], "In a court filing last week, attorneys from the Department
of Justice asserted that these disposals did not violate the FRA because 'they were copies of documents from other agencies or derivatively classified documents, where the originally classified document is retained by another government agency and for
which there is no need for USAID to retain a copy.' This explanation is insufficient."
Under the law, federal agencies are required to submit potential schedules for disposition of records to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Source: Senate press release on 2026 Michigan Senate race
Mar 21, 2025
Thomas Barrett:
Support laws dealing with 2020 election rigging
Summary by Gov. Whitmer (press release 10/4/21): House Bill 4838 claims to prohibit the electronic poll book at each election precinct or absent voter (AV) counting board from being connected to the internet after the polls open on
election day & until the results have been tabulated for that precinct. However, this legislation addresses a non-existent problem because poll books currently are not connected to the internet [during] election day.Legislative Outcome:
Passed House 77-31-2 on Aug/17/21; passed Senate 21-15-0 on Sept/30/21; State Sen. Thomas Barrett voted YES; Vetoed Oct/3/21.
Veto message by Governor Gretchen Whitmer: Today I am returning several election-related bills [which]
suppress the vote or perpetuate the "Big Lie": the calculated disinformation campaign to discredit the 2020 election. I will have no part in any effort that grants an ounce of credence to this deception, so injurious to our democracy.
Source: Michigan State Legislature voting records HB4838
Sep 30, 2021
Aric Nesbitt:
I will work to reduce the regulatory burden
Get bureaucrats out of the way. Government agencies in cities far away from our rural communities are using regulations to keep billions from being invested in our state. Investing in our state should be easy and straightforward.
Expand housing while protecting our rural communities. I will work to reduce the regulatory burden because $94,000 of the cost of a new home is complying with government regulations.
Source: 2026 Michigan campaign website NesbittForGovernor.com
Dec 25, 2025
Garlin Gilchrist:
Republicans are scared of people who look like us voting
Gilchrist used even harsher language when speaking to the Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church. "It's really disgusting and to me, what it says is that one, Republicans are scared of you voting. Period," said Gilchrist. "Republicans are scared of people
who look like us voting, right? They are so scared, and so they decided, we don't want you all to vote anymore so we're going to make it more difficult for people who look like you to do so [to vote]."
Source: WILX-10, "Racism", on 2026 Michigan Gubernatorial race
Apr 1, 2021
Haley Stevens:
FAA licensing for space launches is bureaucratic soup
At a United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology hearing Congress heard from figures in the space industry who criticized the FAA's licensing process for commercial space launches. The FAA introduced Part 450 a few years ago with
the stated aim of "streamlining" the licensing process. Rep. Brian Babin, chairman of the subcommittee, said licenses are being processed "at a snail's pace," while Rep. Haley Stevens said the process amounted to a "bureaucratic soup."
Source: SimpleFlying.com, "FAA", on 2026 Michigan Senate race
Sep 11, 2024
Jocelyn Benson:
Make it easier to vote and harder to cheat
A national expert on voting rights, as Secretary of State she has transformed our democracy, ensured free and fair, transparent and secure elections for everyone--even in the face of threats to her life--and implemented reforms to protect the safety and
security of every person regardless of their race, gender, faith, or sexuality. As Secretary of State, Jocelyn has overseen the highest turnout, most secure elections in Michigan's history by making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.
Source: 2026 Michigan Governor campaign website JocelynBenson.com
Jul 15, 2025
John James:
Tried to delay certification of results in 2020 election
Republican businessman and twice-defeated U.S. Senate candidate John James cast doubt on the integrity of the election while unsuccessfully seeking to delay the certification of Michigan's election results. James, in a letter, asked canvassers to hold
off certifying the November election result by two weeks so various unproven allegations of fraud and "irregularities" can be investigated. "We agree: The people of the state of Michigan deserve election outcomes that they can trust," James wrote.
Source: MLive.com, "Integrity," on 2026 Michigan Gubernatorial race
Nov 23, 2020
Mike Cox:
I'll cut red tape, streamline licensing, refocus agencies
I'll cut red tape, streamline licensing, and refocus agencies on actually fixing problems--so Michiganders can get back to work and thrive. As Attorney General,
I reduced the staff by 20% while handling more cases than ever before. As an owner of a very successful business for the past 14 years, I know how to do more with less.
Source: 2026 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website MikeCox2026.com
Dec 23, 2025
Mike Cox:
Cox has been on the frontlines of Election Day integrity
In 2024, after an inquiry from the RNC, Cox volunteered and was engaged to represent the RNC and President Trump in any necessary legal efforts in federal court related to Election Day Integrity and
Ballot Security fights. For more than two decades, Cox has been on the frontlines of Election Day integrity and protecting Michigan elections.
Source: 2026 Michigan Gubernatorial campaign website MikeCox2026.com
Dec 23, 2025
Mike Duggan:
Reduce the regulatory process for opening small businesses
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced an effort to reduce the regulatory process for opening small businesses in the city. During a news conference, Duggan said new restaurants have to meet building codes, fire codes and health codes.
On top of that, there's a separate city license that Duggan says is redundant. The proposed ordinance would eliminate that additional license for restaurants. It also would extend the licensing process from one year to two years.
Source: Detroit Public Radio (NPR News): 2026 Michigan Governor race
May 21, 2025
Mike Rogers:
Federal regulations have been debilitating for farmers
Well, we have a whole bunch of interests here, and, candidly, we have a whole bunch of problems here. And when you talk to farmers, they're saying the regulation coming out of Washington, D.C. has been debilitating for them and it doesn't allow them to
compete. Therefore, we're importing food. I argue that's probably a national security concern going forward. And same with production, if we can't build things here in America, we're going to be in trouble.
Source: Michigan Public Radio on 2026 Michigan Senate race
Jul 24, 2025
Tom Leonard:
Safeguard farmers from burdensome regulations
For Michigan's to succeed, our farmers must succeed. Unfortunately, agriculture is under attack by environmentalists pushing for burdensome regulations and zoning laws to replace farmland with their green energy agenda.
Michigan's next governor must safeguard farmers from burdensome regulations that will force them out of the industry, ensure farming remains profitable, and that farmland is preserved.
Source: 2026 Michigan Governor campaign website TomForMichigan.com
Dec 21, 2025
Tom Leonard:
Publish names, job titles, salaries of state employees
ENSURE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY- Subject the executive branch and legislature to FOIA and open records searches.
- Publish the names, job titles, and salaries of every state employee online.
- Ensure full economic development transparency--
Michigan taxpayers deserve to know every company that receives a subsidy, the amount received, and how the money was spent.
- Ban the use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in state government.
Source: 2026 Michigan Governor campaign website TomForMichigan.com
Dec 21, 2025
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026