2024 will be a major election year, featuring not only federal contests but also state races. So, will there be any shakeups in southwest Michigan?
Dr. Tiffany Bohm is the lead faculty for political science at Lake Michigan College and tells us state House races in the region that stand out include state Representative Brad Paquette’s 37th District and the 38th District, held by state Representative Joey Andrews.
Bohm says Paquette may have struck a chord with voters for his work on tax legislation, while Andrews is one the Michigan Democrats will want to keep. For example, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to attend his reelection announcement this Thursday.
“It is a big deal, and Whitmer is also championing right now Biden’s reproductive rights tour, she’s going out and championing that as well,” Bohm said. “So, any publicity is good publicity for any candidate when you connect that to a well-known individual and a very salient issue like reproductive rights.”
Bohm says the Democrats will be well served by making reproductive rights a top issue, while state Republicans need to develop a clear platform.
Is the new 38th District destined to remain blue, or could it go red?
“We need more than one or two elections to accurately track registered or likely voter behavior. So, I probably wouldn’t say it’s strong Democrat or strong Republican either way until we get through this upcoming election and the next election.”
Bohm doesn’t expect any major contest in the 39th District, held by state Representative Pauline Wendzel.
What Bohm is really watching is the fight over several Detroit area legislative districts, telling us the political balance in Michigan could be shifted to Republicans if enough districts are redrawn in their favor. In particular, she’s watching the district of state Representative Lori Stone in Macomb and Wayne counties, which could go from blue to red.
