Michigan 2024 Voter Guide: University of Michigan Board of Regents

Learn more about the candidates running for Board of Regents at the University of Michigan.

Voter Guide General Election graphic

The general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

In addition to the presidential, Congressional, and state House races, voters across the state will be casting their votes for who they’d like to serve on the boards of Michigan’s three largest universities.

There are two seats up for reelection on the University of Michigan Board of Regents in November. University board members oversee financial operations at the institution, and are responsible for the hiring of the university’s president and other key responsibilities — per the state constitution. Board members serve staggered eight-year terms, and serve without compensation.

There are six candidates running to join the U-M Board of Regents, including Democrats Denise Ilitch — an incumbent who has served on the board since 2008 — and Shauna Ryder Diggs. They’ll face Republican candidates Carl Meyers and Sevag Vartanian, as well as third-party candidates Andrew Chadderdon (Libertarian Party) and Donna Oetman (U.S. Taxpayers Party).

WDET distributed surveys to university board candidates on the Michigan ballot in November to gain a deeper understanding of what’s motivating them to run. Below, you’ll find candidate bios and their answers to WDET’s questions about their platform and political priorities.

For more information about the November election, visit WDET’s election guide at wdet.org/voterguide.

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

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Author

  • Jenny Sherman
    Jenny Sherman is 101.9 WDET's Digital Editor. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University and has worked for more than a decade as a reporter and editor for various media outlets throughout metro Detroit.