Michigan’s 12th District House Race 2026

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has directed the Michigan State Police to conduct an independent review of a vehicle pursuit involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement that ended in a fatal crash in Grand Rapids. Mario David Coronado-Juarez, in his mid-30s, died Sunday morning after his vehicle struck a tree near Century Avenue SW and McKendrick Street and caught fire while fleeing an attempted ICE stop, reportedly traveling over 100 mph. DHS said ICE agents tried to confirm his identity before he fled at high speed, and that officers discontinued pursuit before discovering the crash and attempting to render aid, noting agents were about a half-mile away when it occurred.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Joseph Trigg and Mayor David LaGrand have also called for an independent state investigation to run alongside the department's own probe. LaGrand blamed ICE's enforcement tactics, calling them a pattern of "intimidation, harassment, and killing," and urged federal reforms including body cameras and civilian oversight. Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Hillary Scholten, both Michigan Democrats, have demanded answers from ICE, while DHS disputed claims that agents caused the crash. Coronado-Juarez, previously deported in 2021 and wanted in Guatemala for alcohol-related driving offenses, was married with three young children and served as his family's breadwinner. The case adds to mounting scrutiny of ICE enforcement following other high-profile incidents this year.

The Venue Fort Lauderdale withdrew as host of a Friday rally featuring Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib after State Rep. Michael Gottlieb, chair of the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus, publicly called the event an "anti-Jew" gathering. The venue, which said it is Jewish-owned, cited "increased security concerns" for the cancellation. Organizers moved the event to a Fort Lauderdale wine bar. The Florida Democratic Progressive Caucus called the cancellation rooted in anti-Muslim sentiment.

The rally was meant to support state Rep. Angie Nixon's U.S. Senate bid and congressional candidates Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin ahead of Florida's August 18 Democratic primary. The episode highlights growing tension within the Democratic Party over Israel policy, as progressives like Tlaib and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani push back against U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza and Lebanon, straining the party's traditional bipartisan backing of Israel.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said at a Detroit Regional Chamber event that he isn't opposed to data centers broadly, but objects to deals he sees as lopsided, where companies receive large tax incentives while offering communities comparatively little in return. Evans recently vetoed tax incentives and a community benefits agreement for a proposed Google data center in Van Buren Township, citing a rushed process; county commissioners later overrode his veto.

Oakland County's Dave Coulter and Macomb County's Mark Hackel, appearing alongside Evans, said developers have failed to clearly communicate community benefits and often require nondisclosure agreements that limit public input. Coulter also warned of a potential saturation point leaving communities with vacant facilities. Clinton Township recently enacted a temporary moratorium on new data centers.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Society will ask Wayne and Oakland county voters on Nov. 3 to approve a 0.2 mill, 10-year property tax to help fund the two institutions. A home valued at $300,000 would pay roughly $30 a year. Officials say the measure would provide sustainable funding as federal, state and local support for museums shrinks, potentially allowing free admission for county residents and free transportation for school and senior tours.

The vote follows a prolonged legislative fight. State lawmakers approved enabling legislation in 2023-2024, but a Republican-controlled legislature that followed refused to forward the bills to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, prompting a legal battle that reached the Michigan Supreme Court, which sided with sending the bills to her. Whitmer vetoed them last month, citing administrative and litigation concerns. In response, Oakland and Wayne county commissions created a joint public authority empowered to place the millage on the ballot without legislative approval.

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.

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.

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.

An 18-year-old Detroit woman has been charged with two misdemeanors—failure to stop at a personal injury accident and failure to stop at a property damage accident—following a Sept. 12 crash in Detroit's Warrendale neighborhood that led to a widely shared confrontation. She was arrested Sept. 14, arraigned Sept. 17 on a $10,000 personal bond, and faces a pretrial conference Oct. 1. Prosecutors have not released her name, citing an ongoing investigation.

The other driver, who identified herself publicly as Susan Smith, said a crowd of Arab-descent men grew to as many as 80 people after the crash, alleging her purse was stolen, the other vehicle's plate was removed, and she was threatened with a spiked bat while racial slurs were shouted—footage of the aftermath went viral. Prosecutors denied a warrant request for a 20-year-old man tied to the confrontation, citing insufficient evidence, and asked police for further investigation. Detroit and Dearborn officials, including both cities' mayors, have called the incident unacceptable while urging against broader blame of the Arab American community.

A Wayne County judge has sentenced Damon Bentley, 28, of Detroit to 27 to 50 years in prison for the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old Westland man outside the Grand Lofts apartment complex in Southwest Detroit. Judge Williams-Claybourne of the 3rd Circuit Court handed down the sentence on Sept. 11, following a July jury conviction on charges of second-degree murder, felony firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.

Prosecutors said Bentley shot the victim eight times on May 4, 2025, outside the apartment complex. The Michigan Department of Attorney General charged Bentley that same month. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the conviction delivered justice for the victim's family, while reaffirming her office's commitment to prosecuting violent crime in the state.

A 17-year-old Detroit teenager, Trejion Sanders, has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a March shooting at a security officer outside Henry Ford St. Johns Hospital in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Sanders was initially charged as an adult with assault with intent to murder and several other felony counts after allegedly attempting to break into cars in the hospital parking lot around 11:50 p.m. on March 5.

Prosecutors said that when security officers confronted Sanders, he reached for a handgun. A taser deployed by the officer failed to stop him, and Sanders allegedly fired at the officer, who returned fire and struck Sanders in the leg. The officer was not injured. Sanders was treated at the hospital before being transferred to a juvenile detention center. On Sept. 16, he pleaded guilty to assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felony firearm charges, with the remaining counts dismissed. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14.