Where candidates stand on economy, abortion and other issues Michiganders care about
Michigan Public gathered the presidential candidates’ positions on key issues, such as abortion and immigration policy.
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Many Michigan voters have already received their ballots for the Nov. 5 presidential election. Michigan could make a big difference in who gets the White House.
Michiganders consistently tell pollsters that the economy is the most important issue, often followed by abortion and immigration policy.
Michigan Public gathered the presidential candidates’ positions on those and other issues.
Want to know more about these issues and how Michigan voters feel about them? Read below or choose one of these links to jump to a specific section:
Economy | Abortion | Immigration | Foreign conflicts | Marijuana
Economy
There is more to the economy than the recent spike in prices caused by inflation (which has been steadily dropping over the last few months).
Even before inflation, many Michiganders were worried about housing affordability, taxes, health care costs, livable wages and other economic issues.
Nearly 40% of Michigan households have an income but are struggling to afford the basic cost of living in their county, according to an analysis of Census data by the United Way.
“I do feel the pressures of an emerging middle class American citizen and what that means for my family, for our finances, for healthcare,” 27-year-old Kevin Ashwood of Detroit told Michigan Public’s Voter Voices.
“These issues, that are not just talking points for how I view life or my principles or ideas or philosophy; but actually what that means for my bank account and my family’s livelihood,” Ashwood said.
Most presidential candidates agree that inflation and taxes on lower-income households should be reduced, but they disagree about how to achieve that.
They also have more specific plans about things like prescription drug pricing, supply chains and credit scores.
Abortion
Michigan is one of six states where abortion remains legal since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade because voters chose to enshrine it as a right in the state’s constitution. Other states also have legal abortion access because of legislative or court action.
While polls suggest abortion has become less of a concern for Michigan voters since the ballot measure passed, there are still disagreements over some restrictions remaining in state law.
“My priorities have changed since the last election, more for the women’s health aspect,” Livingston County nurse Becky McLaughlin, 42, told Voter Voices. “I don’t think that abortion should even be in the political realm. This is a health decision between a patient and a doctor.”
Efforts to get a national abortion ban by Republican congresspeople and conservative anti-abortion groups have kept the issue at the forefront, even as these presidential candidates all now say they would not support a ban.
Immigration
Immigrants make up a small — but growing — portion of Michigan’s population, according to Census estimates. The state ranked 29th for the percent of foreign-born citizens in 2022.
The number of undocumented immigrants is much harder to pin down. But an estimate from the Migration Policy Institute suggests Michigan had about 91,000 unauthorized people between 2015-2019, a fragment of the estimated undocumented population in the U.S. for that time period.
Melanie Greenfield, 52, of Sault Ste. Marie told Voter Voices she felt the U.S. had an “open border.” She said the issue “affects everybody.”
Some polls have tried to get a sense of the exact nature of the concerns Michiganders have about this issue.
A University of Michigan survey released in June found that nearly 40% of residents of Detroit, Flint, Ypsilanti and Grand Rapids thought it should be easier for foreigners to immigrate legally. Only about 16% thought it should be harder.
“Something that’s been very important to me and my community is pushing for driver’s licenses for all,” Danny Celaya, 25, of Grand Rapids told Voter Voices.
Celaya is unable to vote as a undocumented immigrant, who is allowed to stay because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“Like you want people to have a license, have a way to identify themselves, be able to drive safely. Yet that progress on that type of legislation continues to be stalled,” he said. “In response to that, our undocumented Michigan families are struggling.”
Foreign conflicts
The wars raging in Ukraine, Gaza and around the globe can be very personal to some Michiganders.
Michigan is home to the 9th largest Ukrainian population in the U.S., according to Census estimates. It’s also home to a significant Arab and Palestinian population.
But across ethnicities and backgrounds, Michiganders are very torn about how the U.S. should respond to these wars on foreign soil.
In an August WDIV/Detroit News poll of Michigan voters, roughly half supported continued military assistance to Ukraine.
More than 70% of Michigan voters supported an immediate cease fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages there. About 40% said Israel has “gone too far” in response to the Hamas attack.
The conflict in Ukraine is tied up in controversy over America’s role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO is a security agreement between thirty nations that commit to defending one another in case of an attack. Ukraine is not a participating country, but it wants to join.
Some presidential candidates argue that would only stoke tensions in Eastern Europe and say the U.S. should exit the treaty entirely to ensure better stability across the globe.
A vast majority of Michigan voters said they wanted the U.S. to keep its NATO membership in the WDIV/Detroit News poll.
Israeli forces have killed at least 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza over the last year, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and other sources.
The Israeli government’s bombardment came after Hamas militants killed just over 1,100 Israelis, per Israeli government counts, and kidnapped more on Oct. 7.
And it has sparked a wider conflict. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon this month in response to a different militant group, leading to Iran shooting rockets at Israel.
The U.S. has supported Israel with arms and other aid over the course of the conflict, which has been called a “genocide” by prosecutors at the International Court of Justice, humanitarian groups and others like leaders in Ireland and South Africa.
President Joe Biden said his administration is working on getting a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel to stop the killing of Palestinian civilians and bring the remaining 100 Israeli hostages home.
Those efforts have been unsuccessful so far as both sides blame each other for holding up talks with unreasonable demands.
During the Democratic presidential primary, over 100,000 people across Michigan voted “uncommitted” as a way to protest the Biden administration’s military aid to Israel.
Marijuana
Michigan’s marijuana industry has grown significantly since recreational use was approved by voters in 2018. But the direction it goes in the future may depend on what happens next at the federal level.
Brett Thompson, a marijuana cultivator and processor in southwest Michigan, told Michigan Public’s Steve Carmody he’d like to see the next president loosen federal banking regulations and de-schedule marijuana.
“It’s really tough on dispensaries. So you think you gotta give us a break somewhere. We’re trying to pay our taxes,” Thompson said.
The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, the same level as heroin. That can lead to potentially severe criminal penalties for cannabis use.
These presidential candidates agree the scheduling should change, though their positions may have changed over the years. Some even support full legalization.
There are definitely a lot of other issues that matter to Michigan voters as well. There are plenty of great guides from national organizations on candidate positions on topics like climate, guns, and voting rights.
