MichMash: Will Michigan Democrats maintain their state House majority?
Host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer’s Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow analyze which state House races could potentially tip the scale.
Michigan state capitol building.
Michigan Democrats currently have a trifecta in state government — with control of the state House of Representatives, Senate and governor’s office. But as November approaches, questions about whether Democrats can maintain their two-seat Majority in the House loom. On this episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow analyze which state House races could potentially tip the scale.
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In this episode:
- Different strategies for winning votes
- Michigan Democrat’s trifecta in state government
- Top House races likely to flip
As Michigan House Democrats work to maintain their 56-54 majority, campaign ads are working overtime to help Republicans win back enough seats to gain control.
While TV and radio ads are effective, they can also be costly, and Gorchow and Kasben shared how one of the strategies to win votes could be good ole door-to-door petitioning.
“If you are a really aggressive door-to-door candidate, you can go to every registered voter’s house two to three times during the course of an election cycle. That’s free. You don’t have to spend a million dollars on television for that,” said Gorchow. “You just need a good pair of shoes. And it’s really effective.”
When the legislature and the governor are controlled by the same party we’ve seen large changes to gun laws, abortion rights, etc. Some Democrats are sharing fears that if they lose the trifecta in state government, all the legislative work they’ve done will go to waste. However, many Republicans criticize that agenda as steamrolling rather than working for bipartisan solutions in legislation.
Whoever wins control, Kasben says, it “completely changes the landscape for the next two years.”
The general election is Nov. 5, 2024.
More from WDET:
- What’s shaping Michigan’s Latino electorate ahead of the elections
- State leaders fight election misinformation with new Democracy Defense Project branch
- How do we navigate the modern political climate peacefully?
More from Gongwer:
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