Michigan’s 5th District House Race Heads to 2026 Vote

Jackson, Michigan has become the first city in the state to ban cryptocurrency kiosks, a move highlighted by AARP Michigan as part of a broader push to curb kiosk-related fraud that disproportionately affects older residents. AARP Michigan state director Paula D. Cunningham praised the move, saying local communities don't need to wait for state or federal action to address scams tied to crypto ATMs.

The ban was one of several items in a weekly roundup of Jackson-area news, which also included the closure of a local Guatemalan and Mexican restaurant after six years in business, an under-investigation fatal camper fire, local election matchups for a congressional seat and judicial race, and various county ballot measures. The crypto kiosk ban stands out as a local regulatory precedent that other Michigan municipalities concerned about elder fraud tied to cryptocurrency ATMs may look to replicate.

Republican House Speaker Matt Hall is seeking a fifth term representing Michigan's 42nd House District, facing Democratic challenger Nick Rowe, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and aviation instructor at Western Michigan University. The district covers parts of Kalamazoo and Allegan counties, including Oshtemo Township, Galesburg and Parchment.

Hall, a constitutional attorney and former Michigan Attorney General's office staffer, ran unopposed in the GOP primary and touts education funding increases, property tax cuts, utility rate rollbacks and ending sanctuary city policies. Rowe, who defeated fellow Democrat Bill Korb with nearly 59% of the primary vote, backs higher teacher pay, expanded childcare and housing supply, grid modernization, and constitutional limits on immigration enforcement. The race, part of an MLive/League of Women Voters voter guide, reflects broader statewide battles over the Michigan House majority and could factor into prediction markets tracking state legislative control ahead of the next election cycle.

Genesee County voters will help decide 11 Michigan legislative contests in the Nov. 3 general election, covering four state Senate districts and seven state House districts. The field narrowed after the Aug. 4 primary, with several open seats created by term limits or incumbents seeking other offices.

Notable races include Senate District 22, where Democrat Robert Hower faces Republican Mike Murphy to replace term-limited-out Sen. Lana Theis; Senate District 23, pitting Republican Donni Steele against Democrat Greg Hill for the seat held by retiring Sen. Jim Runestad; and Senate District 26, where Democrat Brendan Johnson faces Republican Matthew Bierlein, who currently holds House District 97. In Senate District 27, Democratic incumbent John Cherry faces Republican Bill Bain. House races feature several incumbents defending seats, including rematches in Districts 68 and 69, along with an open contest in District 97 to replace Bierlein. The results will shape partisan control in several competitive Michigan legislative districts.

Michigan's Aug. 4 Democratic U.S. Senate primary polling missed by double digits, with pollster Adam Carlson's survey showing Abdul El-Sayed ahead of Haley Stevens by 19 points before El-Sayed won by roughly 1 point. Carlson and MSU pollster Matt Grossmann attribute the error largely to "differential nonresponse" — El-Sayed's supporters were far more likely to answer surveys than Stevens' supporters, even though demographic targets for age, gender, and region were hit accurately. Both note primary polling historically underperforms since voters lack the partisan cues available in general elections, and Michigan's lack of party registration adds further turnout uncertainty.

Looking to November, both analysts expect more reliable polling since partisanship strongly predicts general-election voting and Trump won't be on the ballot, though Trump's supporters' reluctance to answer surveys has been a separate complicating factor. Michigan's current Senate polls are mixed, with some showing Republican Mike Rogers ahead of El-Sayed and others showing El-Sayed leading. Both experts caution that polls indicate direction, not precise margins, and urge relying on averages rather than single surveys.

Republican U.S. House candidate Michael Bouchard released his first general election video ad, "Jump," in which the former Army paratrooper leaps from a plane while pledging to fight socialism if elected to represent Michigan's 10th District. The Rochester Hills candidate's campaign says the ad is part of a seven-figure television and social media push, funded entirely with campaign money, in a race political handicappers rate as a toss-up.

Bouchard will face Democratic nominee Christina Hines, a former Wayne County special victims prosecutor, in November. The winner succeeds GOP Rep. John James, who is running for Michigan governor instead of seeking reelection. The 10th District covers southern Macomb County and Rochester/Rochester Hills in Oakland County.

The ad is set to air during major sports broadcasts and prime programming, with some slots costing tens of thousands of dollars. Bouchard holds an early fundraising edge, reporting roughly $960,000 on hand versus Hines's approximately $160,000, though her campaign has yet to release its first ad.

Absentee voting is underway in Detroit as Michigan prepares to elect a new governor, U.S. senator, members of Congress, the state Legislature, and other state and local offices. According to Detroit Votes, the city's nonpartisan voter information campaign, about 85,000 of Detroit's roughly 101,000 requested absentee ballots had been mailed as of Monday morning, with the remainder expected to go out later in the week.

Election officials are urging voters to return completed ballots promptly, including via 38 secure drop boxes located throughout the city. Michigan's nine-day statewide early voting period begins Oct. 24, offering another option for Detroiters to cast ballots ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. The pace of absentee returns in a major Democratic stronghold like Detroit is a closely watched indicator for statewide turnout trends.

Bridge access, tolls and affordability have emerged as defining issues in Michigan's 96th House District race, pitting Republican incumbent Timmy Beson against Democratic challenger Chris Girard, Bay City's current mayor, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.

Beson, seeking a fourth term, points to his record securing additional funding for the Lafayette Bridge and keeping the Liberty and Independence bridges out of a proposed state toll program. He also cites concerns over excessive late fees and Michigan's earned sick time rules affecting small businesses. Girard, who voted for the original bridge lease as a city commissioner in 2019, argues Lansing has resources Bay City lacks and wants stronger state oversight of private bridge operators and billing, along with pursuing funding to return bridges to local control. He also emphasizes affordability proposals, including a Prescription Drug Affordability Board and expanded property tax relief for seniors, and has pledged not to accept corporate utility money.

Both candidates emphasize long-standing ties to Bay County as they court voters on cost-of-living and infrastructure concerns.

Detroit's Labor Day parade, once a magnet for top-tier Democratic politicians, has gone roughly a decade without a nationally prominent current or former elected official as its main draw. Bill Clinton campaigned there in 2016 for Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden addressed rallies in 2012 and 2014 as vice president, while Barack Obama spoke at the 2008 event during his first presidential run. This year's parade featured UAW President Shawn Fain and a slate of Michigan Democratic candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed, Jocelyn Benson, Eli Savit, and Garlin Gilchrist II, but no national figures.

Political consultants point to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced cancellation of the parade from 2020 to 2022, along with candidates' shifting preference for controlled messaging over parade appearances. The decline comes even as Michigan gains outsized influence in 2028, after Democrats approved it to hold the nation's first Midwest presidential primary on Feb. 22, 2028. Analysts suggest national attention to the parade could rebound depending on the timing of the UAW's endorsement in that race.

Control of the Michigan House of Representatives, all 110 seats of which are on the Nov. 3 ballot, hinges on six competitive districts, three of them in Metro Detroit. Republicans currently hold a 58-52 majority after flipping the chamber in 2024, and Democrats need to sweep these toss-ups to regain the majority.

The key races include the 27th District (Jaime Churches vs. incumbent Rylee Linting), 31st District (Shannon Dare Wayne vs. Laura Perry, an open seat), 44th District (Jim Haadsma vs. incumbent Steve Frisbie, a rematch after Haadsma lost by 79 votes in 2024), 46th District (Jan Maino vs. incumbent Kathy Schmaltz), 54th District (Sarah Pounds vs. Roman Gaskey, another open seat), and 109th District (Anna Aho Rink vs. incumbent Karl Bohnak). Several races are drawing heavy ad spending and feature first-time candidates. Outcomes will determine whether Republicans retain their narrow majority or Democrats reclaim the chamber ahead of 2026 legislative priorities.

State Rep. Kristian Grant, a Grand Rapids Democrat, will again face Republican challenger Ryan Malinoski in the Nov. 3 general election for Michigan's 82nd House District, marking their third consecutive matchup. The district, covering Grand Rapids' southeast side, part of downtown, and a portion of Wyoming, leans strongly Democratic. Grant defeated Malinoski decisively in both 2022 and 2024, each time capturing roughly three-quarters of the vote.

Grant, a real estate developer and former Grand Rapids school board trustee, responded to a League of Women Voters/MLive Vote411 voter guide outlining positions on education funding, living wages, energy affordability, and due-process protections for all residents, including noncitizens. Malinoski, an Aramark event services manager and Kent County GOP secretary, did not participate in the questionnaire. Given the district's historical voting patterns and Grant's wide margins in prior elections, the race is considered low-competitiveness heading into November.