Updates About Governor

Three bits of Michigan election news have come out recently. First, Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Mike Cox, announced he was ending his campaign and endorsing John James. In his press release the former Attorney General claimed President Trump’s endorsement of James all but sealed the GOP primary race, which until then had been a three-way competition.

Next, the Michigan Bureau of Election announced that the Michiganders for Money out of Politics proposal had been recommended for certification by The Board of State Canvassers. The Board then approved the petition proposal by a 3-1 vote after the submitted signature sample passed the review process by a margin of nine signatures.The Board will now decide on the language of the proposal and give the Michigan legislature an opportunity to pass the proposal. If the legislature decides not to pass the proposal then it would be on the ballot and in the hands of the voters in November.

If passed by the electorate the petition would bar certain public utilities and large government contractors from making political contributions.

Lastly, Governor Whitmer made the decision to endorse Congresswoman Haley Stevens’s campaign for U.S. Senate. The endorsement comes a week and a half before the August primary when Democratic voters decide the candidate that will face off against the Republican Mike Rogers in November. Stevens lone opponent is the former public health professional and progressive Abdul El-Sayed who has the backing of national progressive figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Michigan Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, August 4th.

Recently, Governor Whitmer announced several leadership changes within the Executive Office, including the promotion of Zack Pohl to chief of staff, will take place on August 1st. Pohl will succeed JoAnne Huls, who is stepping down from the role on July 31st after more than seven years of service. Huls will remain with the administration as a senior adviser.

Pohl recently served as the principal deputy chief of staff and oversaw the communications, federal affairs, legislative affairs, policy, and scheduling division of the executive office. Pohl has worked with Whitmer since 2018 when he served as communication director for her gubernatorial campaign and continued that role in her administration.

Below are other various promotions made by the Governor:

• Maria Martinez - Chief Deputy to the Governor (formerly Deputy Chief of Staff).
• Kara Cook - Deputy Chief of Staff (formerly Director of Legislative Affairs).
• Emily Mellits - Director of External Affairs (formerly Director of the Office of Community Engagement).
• Carly Swanson - Deputy Director of External Affairs (formerly Community Engagement Specialist).
• Victoria Houston - Senior External Affairs Specialist (formerly Community Engagement Specialist).
• Anna Cool - Senior External Affairs Specialist (formerly Community Engagement Specialist).
• Julia Evasic - Deputy Director of Advance (formerly Advance Associate).
• Preston Weyland - Senior Deputy Director of Federal Affairs (formerly Manager of Federal Grants and Appropriations).
• Nathan Reynolds - Deputy Director of Federal Affairs (formerly Manager of Federal Grants and Appropriations).

A procedural mistake made during Lame Duck when nine passed bills were not presented to the Governor before concluding the 2023-2024 legislative session will finally be put to rest. While the 103rd Legislature was still settling in at the start of 2025, Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) made the strategic decision to refuse presenting to the Governor several bills passed during Lame Duck by the previous Democrat-majority House.

After more than a year of ambiguity, the Supreme Court announced last week that they will not be making a decision on the case, instead deferring to the Court of Appeals’ previous ruling. Under the lower court’s ruling, the Michigan House was required to present all nine bills to the Governor.

In a surprising twist, the Governor vetoed all nine bills on Friday. In her veto letter, Governor Gretchen Whitmer reasoned that the bills would create an administrative burden due to other conflicting laws that have since gone into effect, statutory deadlines that have expired, and fiscal impacts that were not accounted for in the newly passed FY 27 state budget.

The bills would have covered a range of issues, including requiring public employers to make greater contributions toward their employees’ health insurance, permission to seek a property tax millage for Detroit history museums, enter corrections officers into the State Police pension system, and offer protections for various public benefits from the threat of debt garnishment.

Related Articles: HOUSE MUST SEND 9 LEFTOVER BILLS FROM PREVIOUS LEGISLATURE TO THE GOVERNOR • SUPREME COURT: SENATE LAWSUIT OVER HOUSE BILLS WILL GO THROUGH USUAL LEGAL PROCESS • BRINKS SEEKS SUPREME COURT RULING AND MAKES SENATE RULE CHANGE IN ONGOING FIGHT OVER HOUSE BILLS • MICHIGAN HOUSE DECLINES TO SEND NINE BILLS TO GOVERNOR • SENATE DEMOCRATS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST SPEAKER HALL