Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Kalamazoo County, Michigan voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, with statewide, congressional and local races on the ballot alongside several funding proposals. Top contests include governor (Jocelyn Benson vs. John James), U.S. Senate (Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers), two U.S. House districts, Michigan Supreme Court seats, and numerous school board, library and community college races.

Statewide proposals address a possible constitutional convention and new campaign-finance restrictions on utilities and large government contractors. Local measures include healthcare advisory committees in Kalamazoo and Portage, law enforcement and fire millages in two townships, and school bond and millage renewals across several districts. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Michigan House Democrats are launching a roughly $700,000 broadcast television ad campaign in the Grand Rapids media market aimed at unseating Republican House Speaker Matt Hall in the 42nd House District. It is the first time the Michigan House Democratic Fund, the caucus's campaign arm, has spent in this race, citing internal polling suggesting Hall's Kalamazoo County seat has become competitive despite his roughly 15-point win there in 2024.

House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri criticized Hall's leadership of the 58-52 Republican-majority chamber, saying voters are frustrated with gridlock. Hall faces Democrat Nick Rowe, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Western Michigan University aviation faculty member, in the general election.

Democrats are also targeting other close districts—Battle Creek's 44th, Jackson's 46th, and Marquette's 109th—as part of a broader push to flip the state House majority, while defending their own vulnerable 31st District seat. A similar effort to oust House GOP leadership failed in 2012.