Metro Detroit: State and Local Candidates on Your Ballot in 2020
101.9 WDET is reporting on local races like the 11th Congressional District, Oakland County Executive, Detroit School Board, and more.
101.9 WDET, Detroit’s NPR Station, is committed to providing fair and accurate coverage of the 2020 November presidential election.
Our newsroom is taking questions from listeners and reporting on the relevant issues that voters care about: the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy and the fate of President Donald Trump.
But there are a number of local races on the ballot as well, including Oakland County Executive, Detroit School Board, and more.
Bookmark this page for WDET’s reporting on local races and to contact the newsroom.
2020 WDET State and Local Candidate Guide
This guide reflects the reporting of the WDET newsroom and will be updated as election season progresses.
If you would like to see a race or issue added see all of our election coverage or contact the newsroom here.
Oakland County
Oakland County Sheriff
Republican incumbent Mike Bouchard is running for his sixth term as sheriff against Democratic challenger Vincent Gregory. The length of the term is four years.
With a national spotlight on law enforcement over recent months, the two candidates have opposing views on how improving local police work should be done. If re-elected, Bouchard says he would continue pushing county officials to invest more money in law enforcement training.
I’ve been pushing quite strenuously over the past few years to get the county to build a state of the art training center.” — Mike Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff
Gregory says if appointed to the position, he would underscore work that better familiarizes officers with the communities they serve. He says he would also prioritize the full implementation of body cams within the Sheriff’s Department.
“To actually get the officers out of the patrol cars and actually get them more involved in the community.” — Vincent Gregory on community police work.
Learn more about the candidates for Oakland County Sheriff »
Oakland County Executive
Democrat Dave Coulter, who was appointed to the job following the death of L. Brooks Patterson (R), is seeking election to a full, four-year term. He is running against Republican challenger Mike Kowall and Libertarian candidate Connor Nepomuceno .
Coulter says one of his priorities if elected would be addressing healthcare disparities in Oakland County. He says he aims to do that by integrating services like food and housing assistance at area clinics.
“I want to make sure.” says Coulter, “that any service we’re providing, any programs that we’re creating and the very way that we do business is equitable for everyone in our county.”
Coulter says he would also push to involve Oakland County in regional mass transit plans. He says doing so would benefit job creation and education in the county.
“Metro Detroit is not growing as a region and part of the problem is that we’re losing young people.” — Dave Coulter on mobility and education
Kowall says he would support a regional transit strategy for Oakland County. He says he’d like to see ride-sharing and autonomous vehicles incorporated into the strategy.
“We just have to come up with a better way of financing it,” says Kowall, “and not making homeowners pay for it that will never be able to use the service.”
If elected, Kowall says one of his priorities would be attracting technology businesses to the county. He says he would also like to address social needs around mental health.
“A lot of that stems from drug problems, social issues, psychiatric problems, and there’s no place to go.” — Mike Kowall on crime rates
First-time candidate Nepomuceno says he supports localizing Oakland County’s budget in order to give cities and townships more control over their finances. He says he would also make use of a decentralized approach when it comes to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think if local communities had the control,” says Nepomuceno, “they could have shut down on their own terms.”
Nepomuceno says he is in favor of finding alternative mental healthcare treatments.
“I think deregulation, in general, can give people all kinds of options to explore.” — Connor Nepomuceno on decriminalizing psychedelic plants.
Learn more about the candidates for Oakland County Executive »
Wayne County
Detroit School Board
14 candidates are running for three open seats on the Detroit School Board. The length of the term is four years.
See the full list of candidates and learn more from Chalkbeat Detroit »
US Senate Race
Republican candidate John James, who previously challenged for Debbie Stabenow’s Senate seat in 2018, is facing off against Democratic incumbent Gary Peters. The length of the term is six years.
James says he supports replacing the Affordable Care Act with a market-based approach that covers pre-existing conditions. He says he believes that could be done by incentivizing private healthcare providers.
“I think that through tort reform and regulatory reform,” says James, “we can increase transparency in the healthcare industry. We increase quality… choice, and we can decrease cost.”
If elected, James, who comes to politics from the business sector, says he would push for COVID-19 recovery policies that focus on broadening the tax base rather than increasing tax rates.
“COVID recovery will hinge on tearing down barriers and increasing access so that we can grow job creators.” — John James on economic recovery.
Peters, who is the ranking member of the Senate armed services subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, says he believes Michigan is positioned to build partnerships between auto manufacturers and the military.
“I’m working to get more resources into the research and development that occurs here in Michigan,” says Peters. “And then making sure that kind of investment translates into also making Michigan a center for artificial intelligence and autonomy.”
While he does not support Medicare-for-all, Peters says he is in favor of reforming the Affordable Care Act. If re-elected, he says he would fight to change the prescription drug cost structure in a way that benefits generic brands.
“Prescription drugs continue to rise at a level that’s unacceptable. We need to have more competition.” — Gary Peters on drug pricing.
Learn more about the candidates from WDET’s Detroit Today »
US Congressional Races
10th Congressional District
Democratic candidate Kimberly Bizon is running against Lisa McClain, who won the Republican Party nomination following current representative Paul Mitchell’s decision not to run for re-election. The length of the term is two years.
If elected, Bizon says one of her main focuses would be healthcare. She believes in reforming the Affordable Care Act and eventually moving towards more of a universal system.
“Whether that’s single payer or extended Medicare,” says Bizon, “we haven’t really dived in to whatever solution would be best. However, we do have to fix the Affordable Care Act.”
Bizon says she would also work to address issues related to people’s access to networking infrastructure and shoreline erosion.
“We need a federal representative… to help find grant money or other ways to support residents in communities with the highest lake levels.” — Kimberly Bizon on shoreline erosion.
McLain says she would put an emphasis on jobs and the economy if elected. She says it would be her number one priority.
“You’ve got a lot of people who are in grave danger of losing a lot,” says McLain. “We’ve got to get jobs and the economy back up and running for small businesses, and just for people in general.”
When it comes to handling the COVID pandemic, she says she thinks residents are capable of making decisions on their own.
“I believe in people. I believe people can make good decisions.” — Lisa McLain on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
11th Congressional District
Democratic incumbent Haley Stevens is running for her second term in Congress against Republican challenger Eric Essheki. The length of the term is two years.
Despite supporting universal healthcare during her winning 2018 campaign, Stevens has she is now in favor of expanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She says lowering drug costs and protecting people with preexisting conditions would be two of her priorities if re-elected.
“It’s way too costly and disruptive.” — Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11th) on proposed Medicare for all legislation
Essaki says he is not a supporter of the ACA, citing cost as major reason for his stance. If elected, he says he would focus on healthcare reform and economic rehabilitation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Obamacare didn’t do anything to address the cost of healthcare.” — Eric Essaki, Republican nominee for Congress
Learn more about the candidates from WDET’s Detroit Today »
Judgeships
Michigan Supreme Court
Two open seats on the Michigan Supreme Court will be filled in the general election. Justices are appointed to an eight-year term.
See the full list of candidates and learn more from Detour Detroit »
Michigan 3rd Circuit Court
Voters will be able to select two non-incumbent judges on the November ballot. The winners will serve a six-year term.
See the full list of candidates and learn more from Detour Detroit »
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