Voter guide: State House races in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy, and to correct a misspelling.)

The following are brief biographies of each major party candidate pulled from their official websites, our previous reporting, campaign websites and campaign social media pages. Candidates without that information were contacted, and in some cases did not respond. If the candidate has a campaign website, we've linked to that under "Read more here." This guide does not include third-party candidates or candidates in noncompetitive races. For a full listing of all candidates, including from third parties, see here.

1st House District 

Tyrone Carter, D

Carter, D-Detroit, was elected to the Michigan House in 2018. He chairs the Detroit Caucus and holds leadership positions on the committees that craft regulatory and veterans policies. He retired from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, where he held several union positions. He also previously worked as a Community Involvement Specialist at Southwestern High School. Among the bills he has introduced this session that were signed into law, one allows law enforcement agencies to recoup training costs from new recruits who leave within a few years. Another was part of a package banning hands-on phone use while driving.

Valerie Whittaker, R

Whittaker does not appear to have a campaign website and could not be reached.

2nd House District

Tullio Liberati Jr., D

Liberati Jr., D-Allen Park, was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2020. He chairs the House Committee on Government Operations and also serves on legislative committees that handle regulatory policy and economic development. His bio on the state House website describes him as a “life-long supporter of unions and organized labor” and says his background as the son of a public school educator has given him an appreciation for teachers. In addition to his job as a state lawmaker, he owns a construction business.

Ronald Kokinda, R

Allen Park Republican Kokinda opposes new clean energy laws passed by Democrats and says on his campaign website that he wants to revive manufacturing jobs by working with national leaders on trade and tariff policy and opposes what he calls “the forced transition to electric vehicles.” When it comes to education policy, his website includes common conservative critiques of how racial and gender topics are discussed in schools and claims the purpose of education is to cultivate students’ “God-given creativity.” His campaign also proposes making Michigan a hub for space research. Read more here.

3rd House District

Alabas Farhat, D

Farhat, D-Dearborn, was elected to the Michigan House in 2022. He holds a leadership post on the tax policy committee. Before becoming a lawmaker, he worked as a Michigan Democratic Party Organizer. In his reelection campaign, Farhat has said addressing Michigan’s teacher shortage is among his top priorities and proposed repaying loans for college graduates who pursue teaching. Among the bills he has introduced, one would bar police from forcing hijab removal. He served on a council created by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to identify ways to grow Michigan’s population and organized the first bipartisan legislative charity softball game. Read more here.

Richard A. Zeile, R

Richard Zeile is the reverend at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Taylor. He previously served on the State Board of Education. He describes himself as an advocate for educational choice and said he generally supports vouchers. He called the Muslim community in Dearborn where he lives socially conservative and said he’s a strong GOP candidate who can articulate those values in Lansing. Asked about his policy positions, he characterized state regulations as an impediment to growing business in Michigan and some government social safety net programs as disincentivizing two-parent households.He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

5th House District

Regina Weiss, D

Weiss, D-Oak Park, was elected to the Michigan House in 2020. She moved to Michigan from Indiana to work as a teacher in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Before becoming a state lawmaker, she served as an Oak Park City Council member. In Lansing, she serves as Chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on School Aid and Education. She introduced the bill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed repealing Michigan’s right-to-work law in the event the U.S. Supreme Court reverses a previous decision barring public sector unions from requiring employees covered by collective bargaining agreements to pay union dues. Read more here.

Will Sears, R

Prior to running for office, Sears worked in sales and as a driving instructor. “I would like to stop the direction that the Democratic Party is taking this state and the country,” he said. He opposes gay marriage and abortion rights but said he’s not making those issues a top campaign priority. He said he believes the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, a theory debunked by postelection reviews. Sears said he wants to cut government spending but didn’t name specific programs he’d cut. He also said he wants to ultimately see Michigan’s income tax eliminated. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

6th House District

Natalie Price, D

Natalie Price, of Berkley, was first elected in 2022, winning 78% of the vote in the newly drawn 6th state House District, which stretches from northwest Detroit to Birmingham. A former high school English teacher who is endorsed by the MEA, she supports more money for schools and more equitable funding to help students with the greatest needs, according to her campaign website. Price served on the Berkley City Council and supports increased revenue sharing for local governments to provide essential services. She also supports stricter gun laws, reproductive rights, renewable energy and living wage laws. Read more here.

Brent Lamkin, R

Brent Lamkin, of Royal Oak, is a lawyer who specializes in family law, probate, estate planning, bankruptcy and debt settlement. He doesn’t appear to have a campaign website and he did not reply to Free Press emails seeking comment.

7th House District 

Tonya Myers Phillips, D

Myers Phillips is a Detroit native who graduated from Renaissance High School before earning a bachelor’s and law degrees at the University of Michigan. She represented clients in housing, environmental rights and indigent defense cases. She also has worked in economic development by helping negotiate community benefit agreements on behalf of nonprofit groups. She served on the Detroit Charter Revision Commission and helped create the city’s first “Community Court” jail diversion program. A married mother of one, Myers Phillips is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, numerous unions and five Detroit City Council members. Read more here.

Barry Altman, R

A self-described stone-cold conservative, former Teamster boss, construction professional, counselor, minister, and political operative. Altman supports former President Donald Trump. He also supports Second Amendment rights and opposes gender transition treatments for minors. Altman said he would expand access to counseling by modify the regulations and allowing the education and clerically qualified people provide it. Read more here.

8th House District

Helena Scott, D 

Scott is the current state representative for District 7, which is becoming District 8 after redistricting earlier this year. A native Detroiter, she was first elected to the state Legislature in 2020, where she is the chair of the Energy, Communications, and Technology House Standing Committee. Before being elected, she served her District 7 predecessor LaTanya Garrett as her community liaison and as the lead organizer for Southeast Michigan Jobs with Justice. According to her website, she is running on a platform of improving public education, public safety and economic growth. Read more here.

Alex Kuhn, R

Kuhn does not appear to have a campaign website and he did not respond to voice messages the Free Press left with the phone number listed for his candidate committee.

9th House District

Joe Tate, D

House Speaker Tate, D-Detroit, was elected in 2018 and chosen by Democrats to serve as their leader when they won control of the state House in 2022. The son of a Detroit public school teacher and firefighter, Tate is the first Black Speaker in Michigan history and plays a key role shaping the agenda in Lansing. Under his leadership, Democrats have crafted new gun laws, established a statewide clean energy target and repealed Michigan’s right-to-work law. Before serving as a state lawmaker, he worked as a program manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the city’s economic development organization. Read more here.

Michele Lundgren, R

Lundgren faces charges for allegedly participating in a scheme to award Michigan’s Electoral College votes to former President Donald Trump with a phony certificate in 2020. She pleaded not guilty. “Wayne County 9th District needs a new Michigan State Representative, not the same played out Democrat,” her campaign website states. Unlike other Republicans who have championed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, she says “abortion should remain safe and legal” while efforts should be made to increase access to contraceptives. Read more here.

10th House District 

Veronica Paiz, D

Paiz was elected in 2022 to represent the 11th House District and is now running in the 10th, which, after redistricting, includes Harper Woods, the Grosse Pointes, and parts of Detroit. A former member of Harper Woods City Council, Paiz earlier served as executive director of Casa de Unidad, a Hispanic/Latino cultural center in southwest Detroit, and before that worked for the civil rights organization FOCUS: Hope. Paiz has a bachelor of fine arts from Wayne State University and a master’s degree from New York University. Read more here.

Griffin Wojtowicz, R

Wojtowicz, of St. Clair Shores, is an educator in Dearborn Public Schools. A graduate of Oakland University, Wojtowicz took master classes with award-winning guitarists, performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has toured Europe with the Oakland Chorale. He has also worked in construction after graduating high school with a certification in construction and technology. Wojtowicz wants to help small business by cutting red tape and says students should learn hands-on skills such as how to change brakes on the family car. Read more here.

11th House District

Donavan McKinney, D

McKinney, of Detroit, is serving his first term representing the 14th District and is now running in the 11th District, due to redistricting. According to his Michigan House of Representatives Democratic caucus biography, McKinney began his career in public service as a House legislative director and later worked for the nonprofit Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Wayne County Community College District and the Service Employees International Union. McKinney’s biography says that combating climate change has become a focus of his professional life and he served as the national political director for Climate Power. Read more here.

Dale Walker, R

Walker, of Warren, is a superintendent with the city of Warren, according to Gongwer News Service, a Capitol newsletter which had no other information about Walker. He does not appear to have a campaign website and did not respond to a phone message from the Free Press.

12th House District 

Kimberly Edwards, D 

Edwards is the incumbent 12th District state representative, currently serving her first term. Drawing from her experiences as a mother and longtime social worker, her priorities in office have been protecting reproductive freedoms and the environment, and bolstering education for Michigan students. Edwards has sponsored bills that prohibit the sale of dietary supplements to minors, protect tenant rights, adjust government reimbursements to child care providers for inflation and strengthen certain labor rights, among others. Endorsements include the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and the United Auto Workers. Read more here.

Randell J. Shafer, R

The premise of Shafer’s campaign is that the Republican agenda is stronger than the Democratic one. He aligns with former President Donald Trump on economic policy, specifically reducing inflation and bringing down energy costs. Shafer served in the Army for 20 years, then worked in logistics for the Department of Defense. He was born and raised in Detroit and has sought to represent the community before — through campaigns for congressional appointment, the county executive role in Macomb County and county commissioner. In office, Shafer would work to rein in the state budget and improve education outcomes, holding parents more accountable than teachers. He was named volunteer of the year by the Macomb County Board of Commissioners for his work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

13th House District

Mai Xiong, D 

Xiong was the first Asian American and former refugee to serve on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners in 2020. She was elected to serve a partial term as state representative in April and is now running for reelection. Xiong is pro-choice, supports living wages, workers organization rights and tax cuts for working families as well as investments in public transportation, roads and infrastructure. She is endorsed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Read more here.

Ronald Singer, R

Singer is a veteran and engineer who has been working at tire and wheel assembly equipment company Dominion Technologies Group, in Roseville, since the 1970s. He’s running for office because he said he sees a need for “technical expertise” in the Michigan House of Representatives. Singer said he wants to prioritize lowering the cost of living and taxes for Michiganders and find solutions to improve the education system that are less costly. Read more here.

14th House District

Mike McFall, D

McFall is currently serving his first term as 8th District state representative. He was elected to Hazel Park City Council in 2019 and worked in the nonprofit sector prior to taking office. His priorities include health care access and equity, affordable child care and funding climate-resilient infrastructure. He supports women’s reproductive freedoms and labor rights. McFall is openly gay and has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ protections in Michigan. During his current term, McFall has supported legislation to invest in affordable housing, increase the Working Families Tax Credit and strengthen union protections. Read more here.

Barbara Barber, R

Barber did not appear to have a campaign website and could not be reached.

15th House District

Erin Byrnes, D

Byrnes is the incumbent 15th District state representative, serving her first term. Byrnes prioritizes reproductive rights, ethics and transparency, gun control, education, mental health funding, protecting voting rights and poll workers, pay equity and infrastructure upgrades. She chairs the Ethics and Oversight Committee and serves on four other committees. Byrnes has sponsored and cosponsored legislation in areas including crime, education, gender equality and financial transparency. A Dearborn native, she served on the Dearborn City Council from 2018 to 2023. Byrnes taught middle school special education in New York and worked at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Read more here.

Gary Edward Gardner, R

Gardner is a Dearborn attorney running for state representative. Gardner pledges to “promote conservative values,” with priorities including fiscal responsibility, freedom of speech, family values and religious liberty. He supports conservative principles, limited government and personal responsibility, values he would carry into office if elected. Gardner works as a family law, divorce law and criminal law attorney, with 42 years of experience. He is an immigrant, a husband of 40 years and a father to three daughters. Read more here.

16th House District

Stephanie A. Young, D

Young is the incumbent District 16 state representative, currently serving her second term. She has also served as the executive director of Detroit’s Community Education Commission, the District 1 manager with the Mayor's Office Department of Neighborhoods and the outreach manager of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. Young also serves on the ministerial staff at her home church, Historic Pure Word Missionary Baptist Church. During her tenure in the House, she has continued to champion issues in senior care, education and civil rights. She did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

Brian Duggan, R

Duggan did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written and could not be reached.

17th House District

Laurie Pohutsky, D

Pohutsky, D-Livonia, is Speaker Pro Tempore, currently serving her third term. She sponsored abortion-related legislation Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law in 2023, including a bill to repeal Michigan’s abortion ban. She also introduced the bill signed into law to ban gay and trans panic defense in criminal cases, which specifies that someone's sexual orientation or gender identity can't be used as evidence to defend an alleged crime against him or her. She’s a Michigan State University graduate with a degree in microbiology who now chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. Read more here.

Rola Makki, R

Makki does not appear to have a campaign website and she did not respond to voice messages the Free Press left with the phone number listed for her candidate committee.

18th House District

Jason Hoskins, D

In 2022, Hoskins became the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. Prior to that, he served on the Southfield City Council and worked for state Sen. Jeremy Moss and former state Rep. Rudy Hobbs. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Eastern Michigan University and a law degree at the University of Detroit Mercy. Hoskins served as a vice president of the law school’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter, working to combat voter suppression and racial biases in the criminal justice system, according to his campaign website. He is endorsed by the Michigan Education Association and Planned Parenthood of Michigan. Read more here.

Mordechai Klainberg, R

Klainberg lives in Southfield. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was written and he did not return phone messages seeking comment.

19th House District

Samantha Steckloff, D

A lifelong Farmington Hills resident, Steckloff was first elected state representative in 2020. Prior to that, she served on the Farmington Hills City Council, where she authored a human rights ordinance and created a commission on community health. Steckloff serves on the Appropriations Committee and several appropriations subcommittees, including the one on Higher Education and Community Colleges, which she chairs. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31 and supports health insurance reform to reduce costs to families, according to her campaign and office websites. Read more here.

Kevin Hammer, R

A lawyer and a certified public accountant, Hammer has a long history of community involvement. He chaired the Farmington Area Commission on Aging and the Farmington Memorial Day Parade Committee. He has coached soccer and baseball and held leadership roles at Our Lady of Sorrows School, Marian High School and the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He supports efforts to bolster police and fire service and wants more responsible spending at the state level, according to his campaign website. Read more here.

20th House District

Brendan Cowley, R 

Cowley currently works as a software developer and was previously a chef and sales representative in the hospitality industry. On his campaign website, Cowley says his roots are in Michigan but he moved around throughout his childhood and adult life. He lists his priorities as personal autonomy, parental rights, fiscal responsibility and energy production. On his campaign social media X account, he has advocated for giving undocumented immigrants “clearly marked (driver’s licenses) that say they are illegals.” Read more here.

Noah Arbit, D

Arbit is a first-term lawmaker from West Bloomfield. He was 27 when he was elected in 2022, making him the youngest openly LGTBQ+ person elected to the Legislature. After the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Arbit founded the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus and later sponsored an update to Michigan’s Hate Crime law, along with a separate bill that beefs up penalties for attacks on houses of worship, cultural centers and businesses, according to his campaign website. Prior to being elected, Arbit worked on the staff of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and as director of communications at the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Read more here.

21st House District

Kelly Breen, D

Breen is a second-term lawmaker from Novi. A lawyer by trade, she chairs the House Judiciary Committee and helped pass bills to codify abortion rights, beef up gun safety measures and protect members of the LGBTQ+ community. She also sponsored legislation to require the state to seek more equitable court funding. She said her priorities going forward are providing more money for schools and community health, including mental health, according to her campaign website. She’s endorsed by unions representing teachers, firefighters and police, as well as by Emily's List. Read more here.

Thomas Konesky, R

Konesky, of South Lyon, grew up in a working-class family in River Rouge and became an entrepreneur. He now operates his own real estate appraisal business. He supports efforts to bolster small business and protect parental rights in education, according to his campaign website. He wants more funding for first responders to enhance public safety. He got involved in politics in 2022, running for precinct delegate, to correct what he sees as the wrong path for Michigan and the nation. Read more here.

22nd House District

Matt Koleszar, D

Koleszar, of Plymouth, is running for reelection. Before being elected to the Legislature in 2018, he was a public school teacher. He attended Saginaw Valley State University for his undergraduate education and Eastern Michigan Unviersity for his master’s, according to his campaign website. He lists his priorities as ensuring adequate funding for schools, fixing roads, clean water and health care access. In the Legislature, he serves as chair of the House Education Committee and has successfully sponsored several bills, including one to eliminate the letter grading system of schools and another to curb the use of cellphones will driving. Read more here.

Adam Stathakis, R

Stathakis, of Livonia, is director of operations in his family-owned building service contracting company in Farmington Hills. He wants to cut taxes and spending. His volunteer activities include coaching girls high school hockey. Stathakis has a bachelor of arts in accounting from Hillsdale College. Stathakis is a first-time candidate, according to his website. Read more here.

23rd House District

Jason Morgan, D

Morgan was first elected to the state House in 2022. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University before getting a master’s degree from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He was the first openly member of the LGBTQ+ community to chair the Washtenaw County Commission and served in a variety of public policy roles at both the state and federal level, according to his campaign website. His priorities include improving public education, environmental stewardship and protecting LGBTQ+ rights. Read more here.

David Stamp, R 

Stamp is a retired salesperson for the Donaldson Company in Minneapolis, from Northville Township. He says he is running because he “(doesn’t) think they’re doing the right thing in Lansing now” and that he wants to “help contribute correcting the problem.” He supports lower taxes, lower regulations and less government involvement. Stamp says he is a “huge Trump supporter,” and that he believes his position as a retiree puts him at an advantage in the race. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

24th House District

Ranjeev Puri, D

Puri, of Canton, is serving his second two-year term in the state House. Before his election to the Legislature, Puri worked in the automotive industry, in financial consulting, and in the administration of former President Barack Obama, according to Puri’s House Democratic caucus biography. Puri wants to lift up Michigan families and workers, his biography says. Puri is the House majority whip and chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. He has a master’s of business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Read more here.

Leonard Scott, R

Scott, of Canton, told the Free Press he is a former truck driver who is now learning to be a stock market trader. He ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in 2022. According to Scott’s campaign website, he wants increased border security, energy independence through a variety of sources, more personal responsibility and less government and an end to censorship. “Our children are our legacy,” Scott said on his campaign website. “No one knows where the next revolution will come from. All students deserve and should expect a quality education that prepares them for the world they will join.” Read more here.

25th House District

Peter Herzberg, D

Herzberg, of Westland, won an April special election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Kevin Coleman, who was elected mayor of Westland. Herzberg formerly was a member of Westland City Council for nine years. He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Wayne State University. His issues include ensuring adequate school funding and protecting reproductive rights. Read more here.

Josh Powell, R

Powell, of Westland, served in the Army and National Guard, and earned degrees from Lindenwood University and Purdue University, according to his campaign website. He now works in IT and is pursuing a law degree. He supports small government, lower taxes and less regulation, and aims to “help defend people from future authoritarian government mandates,” according to his website. He previously ran unsuccessfully for Westland City Council. Read more here.

26th House District

Jeff Gorman, R

Gorman, of Garden City, is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve, according to his campaign website, and also worked as a pilot. He views Lansing as being on “a downward spiral towards bigger and bigger government” and says he is committed to serving the people if elected, according to his website. Read more here.

Dylan Wegela, D

Wegela, of Garden City, was first elected to the state House in 2022. There, he has gained a reputation as an opponent of corporate handouts, sometimes breaking with his party to vote against large financial incentives aimed at luring new industry. He believes the economy is broken to benefit the wealthy at the expense of working-class people and refuses to accept corporate campaign donations. A former teacher in Dearborn Public Schools, Wegela has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Eastern Michigan University. Read more here.

27th House District

Jamie Churches, D

Churches, of Wyandotte, was first elected to the state House in 2022.  A former teacher and union president, Churches taught fifth grade for 10 years in the Gibraltar, Woodhaven-Brownstown, and Grosse Ile Township school districts. According to her campaign website during her time as state representative, Churches “helped secure $20 Million for Grosse Ile Free Bridge Repairs secured $400,000 for Gibraltar’s lead line service replacements, secured $20 Million for railroad crossing replacement in Trenton.” If reelected, Churches’ website lists her priorities as supporting educators and small business, expanding access to health care and  protecting the Great Lakes. Read more here.

Rylee Linting, R

Rylee Linting is the Motor City field representative for Turning Point Action and the former Michigan Republican Party Youth Chair. A graduate of Grosse Ile High School and recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, she says on her campaign website that her experience facing “indoctrination, vaccination mandates, and woke student culture” in college inspired her to become politically involved. Linting is running on a platform of lower taxes, less government and more freedom. On her campaign Facebook page, she announced she is endorsed by current 29th District state Rep. James DeSana and former state Sen. James DeSana Sr. Read more here.

28th House District

Janise O'Neil Robinson, D

A Taylor native who now lives in Brownstown Township, O'Neil Robinson taught special education for almost 30 years in the Taylor Public Schools. Her priorities include supporting education through free lunch programs for students, boosting per-pupil funding and fully funding special education. A longtime teachers union official, she supports worker rights to ensure fair wages and benefits as well as access to child care and senior care. A married mother of one, she supports abortion rights and fertility care. O’Neil Robison supports the individual right to own firearms, but wants to keep the “weapons of war” out of the community. Read more here.

Jamie Thompson, R

Thompson won the seat in 2022. A licensed practical nurse, she has served in the Legislature on committees related to health, family, children and seniors. A married mother of three, Thompson and her husband are raising their three grandchildren after their daughter died in a motorcycle crash. She supports expanded access to child care and a refundable state income tax credit for people making down payments on a home. Thompson supports the right of communities to opt out of mass transit taxes. She strongly supports gun rights and boasts an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. Read more here.

29th House District

Kyle Wright, D

Wright, 25, is a lifelong resident of Taylor, and has been a member of the Taylor School District Board of Education for three years. On his campaign website, Wright lists a slew of legislative priorities, including expanding access to early childhood education, lowering the price of prescription drugs and capping the cost of insulin and cleaning water polluted with harmful contaminants. Wright, according to his website, has a background in nonprofit development. Read more here.

James DeSana, R

DeSana, a Republican from Ash Township, was first elected to the Legislature in 2022. During his first term in Lansing, DeSana has backed legislation to prohibit the sale of lab-grown meat, eliminate a toll to cross the Mackinac Bridge and more. He’s currently a member of the House Higher Education Committee. On his campaign website, DeSana includes priorities like eliminating barriers for small businesses, lowering taxes and opposing abortion. DeSana also is a college baseball umpire and is an organizer of youth travel baseball teams. Read more here.

31st House District

Reggie Miller, D

Miller is a first-term state representative from Van Buren Township in a district that includes parts of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Before winning a seat in 2022, she was a three-time Van Buren Township trustee and had served as vice president of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority. The chair of the House Agriculture Committee, she counts as her legislative accomplishments in Lansing the repeal of the tax on pension income and increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit. Read more here.

Dale Biniecki, R

A retired owner-operator in the trucking business, Biniecki, of Monroe, says on his website he is running to protect farmland from being developed by energy interests and to support legislation that helps to secure the Southern border of the U.S. from illegal immigration. He also says he will make improving roads and other infrastructure a priority of his. A grandfather, Biniecki says he has served with the local 4H and local Republican Party. Read more here.

49th House District

Ann Bolin, R

Bolin, of Brighton Township, was elected to the Michigan House in 2019. She previously served as state representative in the 42nd District before redistricting in 2022. Bolin served as Bright Township Clerk from 2003 to 2018.  Bolin calls herself a budget hawk. She serves on the House Appropriations Committee and “several subcommittees overseeing 75% or the State’s budget,” according to her website. Bolin on her website said she believes “government’s role should be limited.” Read more here.

Andy Wood, D

Wood, has been a Michigander for more than 15 years and drives for Door Dash. Wood told the Detroit Free Press that he plans to “focus on supporting working families, protecting public schools, and preserving the environment.” He said he wants “to increase the minimum wage, hold employers accountable for wage theft, and reinstate rent control.” On the environment, he said he will advocate for stricter penalties for polluters, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure and protecting Michigan's natural resources.

51st House District

Sarah May-Seward, D

May-Seward is a bartender and a longtime advocate for the service industry. She also is an appointed member of the Oakland Community Health Network and a member of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan's Children's Issues Committee, according to her website. May-Seward lists supporting abortion access as a priority and supports government transparency and ending corporate tax cuts. She previously ran for election in the district in 2022. Read more here.

Matthew Maddock, R

Maddock is the owner and president of A-1 Bail Bonds, in addition to being a private investigator, according to his biography on the House Republicans website. He was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2018, and is seeking reelection to a fourth term in the House this fall. Maddock is a member of the arch-conservative House Freedom Caucus, and in the current legislative term has touted a record of voting against most bills sent to the floor by Democratic leadership in the chamber. His legislative priorities include cutting taxes and lowering energy costs, according to his House bio. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this guide was being written.

52nd House District

Caroline Dargay, D

Dargay, of Clarkston, has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Hope College, according to Gongwer News Service. Gongwer, a Capitol newsletter, had no other information about Dargay, who did not appear to have a campaign website. Calls to Dargay and her campaign treasurer were not returned.

Mike Harris, R

Harris, of Waterford, was first elected to the state House in a special election, in May 2022. Before that, he spent 26 years in law enforcement, including 25 years with the Waterford Police Department, according to his biography on the House GOP website. He served as union president both as a patrol officer and as a command officer, according to his biography. Harris serves as minority vice-chair of the House Insurance and Financial Services Committee. Read more here.

53rd House District

Brenda Carter, D

Carter, of Pontiac, was first elected to the state House in 2018 and is serving her third term.  She chairs the Insurance and Finance Services committee. Carter served on the Pontiac School District's Board of Education for eight years. According to her campaign website, she was the first woman to represent House District 53.  Carter lists her priorities as improving roads and infrastructure, transparency in state government and boosting funding for public schools. Read more here.

Melissa Schultz, R 

Schultz does not appear to have a campaign website and could not be reached for comment.

54th House District

Shadia Martini, D

Martini, of Bloomfield Township, owns multiple businesses in metro Detroit including a real estate brokerage and construction company, according to her campaign website. Martini attended the University of Michigan and received her MBA in 1996. On her website, Martini lists among her priorities education, citing access to mental health care and child care; as well as reproductive rights and gun violence prevention. Martini on her Facebook page says Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has endorsed her for the seat. Read more here.

Donni Steele, R

Steele, of Orion Township, was elected to the House in 2022. Before that, Steele spent four years as a trustee for Orion Township as well as the township’s treasurer. Among the priorities she lists on her website: security and public safety, including stricter penalties for crimes involving firearms; fiscal responsibility; and education, including “in-depth evaluation of schools and teachers,” to increase accountability. Steele has also worked in real estate in a variety of roles, including Realtor, manager and owner. She lives in Orion Township with her husband, Phil. They have two sons. Read more here.

55th House District

Trevis Harrold, D

Harrold is a Saginaw native who worked in multiple U.S. embassies internationally before returning to Michigan, enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve and earning the rank of 1st Lieutenant, according to his campaign website. As a candidate, Harrold lists issues like protecting the environment, investing in public education, strengthening Michigan’s security and advancing women’s rights among his priorities. Read more here.

Mark Tisdel, R

Tisdel is seeking a third term in the House, having been first elected to the Legislature in the 2020 election. Before becoming a state representative, Tisdel worked as principal with medical malpractice insurance firm Backus Payne & Associates for more than two decades, and also spent eight years on the Rochester city council. As a lawmaker, Tisdel focuses on small businesses and currently is Republican vice chair of the House Committee on Economic Development and Small Business. He was named legislator of the year by the Michigan Retailers Association in 2023. Read more here.

56th House District

Dave Kniffen, R

Kniffen, of Troy, says he has been a self-employed entrepreneur since the age of 18. According to his campaign website halfway through his business career he decided to attend college. He graduated from Oakland Community College and University of Michigan According to his campaign website, the issues Kniffen wants to address are inflation, wasteful spending and fentanyl and other drug trafficking. He said he also wants to preserve liberty, promote healthy living, and support small businesses. Read more here.

Sharon MacDonell, D

MacDonell, of Troy, was elected to the Michigan House in 2022. MacDonell says on her website that she became a “stay-at-home mom activist” when the Troy Public Library was under threat of closure. According to her campaign website, during her time as state representative, MacDonell “sponsored bills that protect vulnerable adults from online exploitation, helping companies build EV charging infrastructure, and keeping corporations from obstructing environmental regulations that can slow climate change.” If reelected, MacDonell lists funding public education, investing in infrastructure and reevaluating auto insurance reform among her priorities. Read more here.

57th House District

Aisha Farooqi, D

Farooqi currently works as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County. On her website, she said her experience as a student in Detroit Public Schools helped shape her outlook toward public service. This is the second time Farooqi has sought election in the 57th District, after seeking the seat in 2022. Farooqi lists a slew of policy priorities on her website, including protecting access to reproductive health care such as in vitro fertilization, conserving the environment and investing in aging infrastructure. Read more here.

Thomas Kuhn, R

The incumbent Kuhn is seeking a second term representing the 57th House District, after being first elected in 2022. As a lawmaker, he sits on the House Appropriations Committee and has roles on appropriations subcommittees for higher education and community college as well as health and human services. Before joining the Legislature, Kuhn spent time on the Royal Oak City Commission, the Oakland Community College Board of Trustees and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. He also practiced law for more than three decades.

58th House District

Nate Shannon, D

A former high school teacher and Sterling Heights City Councilman, Shannon was first elected to the seat in 2018. Shannon supports increased funding for K-12 education as well as additional support for mental health resources. He backed efforts to provide AED devices to schools and to repeal the pension tax. He has received union support from police and firefighting unions as well as the AFL-CIO. Read more here.

Ron Robinson, R

A Utica City Councilman, Robinson served as a military police officer in the U.S. Marines in the first Gulf War. He supports incentives to help recruit and retain first responders. Robinson has owned businesses in video production and real estate. He opposes raising gas taxes and says he would seek alternative funding for road improvements. Robinson said he wants greater transparency from schools and he’s endorsed by the Great Lakes Education Project, which backs school choice including vouchers. Read more here.

59th House District 

Douglas C. Wozniak, R

Wozniak has served in both the Michigan House and Michigan Senate. He is the current state representative for the 59th District, campaigning for reelection on a platform that prioritizes protecting seniors, strengthening the economy, lowering taxes and safeguarding elections with increased fraud prevention measures. Wozniak is a practicing attorney at his own law firm. He is also licensed as an insurance agent, Realtor and broker. He has been endorsed for his current bid by several groups, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce,  Michigan Farm Bureau AgriPAC, the Michigan Retailers Association and Right to Life of Michigan PAC. Read more here.

Jason Pulaski, D

Pulaski did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written and could not be reached.

60th House District

Shelly Fraley, D

Fraley is running on a platform of civil rights and individual liberties with a commitment to the state and federal constitution. Her priorities include protecting reproductive rights, supporting public education, promoting small businesses, supporting diversity, protecting LGBTQ+ rights and expanding health care access and affordability. Fraley envisions a future based on the values of equity, justice and progress. Fraley is a University of Phoenix alum and has worked in the software industry for over 20 years. She is a mother and grandmother, with her children and grandchildren attending Macomb County schools. Read more here.

Joseph Aragona, RAragona is the incumbent 60th District state representative, serving his first term. Aragona prioritizes voter ID laws, gun rights, small businesses, police funding, road and infrastructure improvements, pro-life values, protection for senior citizens and freedom of choice on vaccines. He serves as the Republican vice chair of the House Housing subcommittee and serves on three other committees. Aragona also served as the deputy supervisor for Harrison Township. Born and raised in Macomb County, he also worked at his family business and he volunteers in several community organizations, including the Kiwanis Club and Humane Society. Read more here.

61st House District

Robert Wojtowicz, R

Robert Wojtowicz is a lifelong Macomb County resident who has served on the Chippewa Valley School Board for three years. Wojtowicz prioritizes education reform, supporting “100% parental choice” in what students learn. He believes the Michigan Legislature should support border patrol and ICE officer recommendations and “cease with all incentives provided to illegals.” He is endorsed by the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee. Read more here.

Denise Mentzer, D

Mentzer is the incumbent 61st District state representative, serving her first term. Mentzer prioritizes education, bodily autonomy, affordable and accessible health care, water infrastructure and economic growth. Mentzer serves as the majority vice chair of the Labor committee and serves on five other committees. She also served on the Mount Clemens City Commission for 10 years. Mentzer grew up in Clinton Township, with family serving in the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. Read more here.

62nd House District

Michelle Levine-Woodman, D

Levine-Woodman is an educator and union activist in Macomb County, where she works as a choir teacher in Chippewa Valley Schools. Levine-Woodman prioritizes education, economic improvements, environmental protection, affordable health care and workers’ rights. She supports protecting abortion rights, increasing law enforcement funding, lowering taxes for the middle class, investing in affordable housing, lowering prescription drug costs and more. She became vice president of her church parish council at age 16. Levine-Woodman also served in an education union, as vice president of public affairs for MEA Local-1. Read more here.

Alicia St. Germaine, R

St. Germaine is the incumbent 62nd District state representative, serving her first term. St. Germaine prioritizes supporting police, local control, Lake St. Clair water quality, border security, supporting small businesses and skilled trades, Second Amendment rights and mental health resources. She is a member of vaccine choice, pro-police and parent choice organizations. St. Germaine is self-employed and has worked with small businesses for 28 years. She is a wife of 30 years and mother of two children. Read more here.

63rd House District

Jay DeBoyer, R

DeBoyer currently serves as a representative of the 63rd House District. According to a news release, DeBoyer opposed a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year because there was “no dedicated funding for local road agencies to repair crumbling roads, continued gambles on electric vehicles and a lack of increase in per-pupil funding for Michigan’s public schools.” He supports robust public safety investments and “state sovereignty on the border crisis.” Read more here.

Robert E. Kelly-McFarland, D

Kelly-McFarland is a sheet metal specialist and energy management professional and touts nearly three decades of union membership. This is the first time he has campaigned for a state-level office but is an incumbent district delegate in the 4th Congressional District. Among his priorities are investing in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly wind turbines, and investing in public education. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

65th House District

Shirley Tomczak, D

Tomczak is a retired educator and high school counselor who is making her first run for public office. She told the Detroit Free Press gun safety legislation is a priority for her campaign, as she previously worked at Oxford High School and has a granddaughter who was present at the school during the deadly mass shooting in November 2021. Along with wanting to legislate the accessibility of “weapons of war,” Tomczak said funding public education is another policy priority for her campaign. She did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

Jaime Greene, R 

Greene was first elected to the House in 2022 and is the Republican caucus vice chair, the Republican vice chair of the House Education Committee and serves on the Energy, Communications and Technology, and Government Operations committees. A U.S. Navy veteran, upon completing service, Greene worked as a counselor for veterans in Richmond, according to her legislative bio. Before joining the Legislature, she was elected to the Richmond City Council. In Lansing, Greene has introduced legislation to create a Michigan Army National Guard and Air National Guard apprenticeship program, protect emergency responders from discipline from other employers if they miss work while responding to an emergency and to designate Michigan as a Purple Heart state, among other items. On her campaign website, Greene says she advocates for educational, economic and medical freedom. Read more here.

66th House District

Shawn Almeranti-Crosby, D

Shawn Almeranti-Crosby did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written and could not be reached.

Josh Schriver, R

Schriver, the incumbent representative in the 66th House District, is seeking a second term in the Legislature. Before becoming a lawmaker, he was a kindergarten teacher and a behavior analyst. In the Legislature, Schriver has voted against the majority of bills introduced by the Democratic majority in the House. He was stripped of a committee assignment and staffing allotments by House leadership in February after making a social media post espousing the so-called “great replacement” theory, which multiple groups have labeled as a racist conspiracy theory. Read more here.

68th House District

Matt Schlinker, D

Schlinker is a Democrat who lives in Goodrich and a longtime employee of General Motors. He won a write-in campaign after the unexpected death of former state Rep. Tim Sneller, D-Burton, who was the only Democrat listed on the August primary ballot. Schlinker was surprised that he received enough votes for his last-minute bid. Schlinker, in a Facebook post, said if elected, he’ll “fight for women and their ability to control their own bodies” and “ensure workers have the right to organize.”

David Martin, R

Martin, R-Davison, was first elected to the state House in 2020. He was reelected in 2022. He previously served as a Genesee County commissioner and on Davison’s city council. In Lansing, he sits on the legislative committees that handle environmental and economic development policies. On his campaign website, he defines himself as an abortion rights opponent and says he opposes allowing transgender student athletes to compete on teams that align with their gender identity. He describes his political philosophy on his campaign website as fighting to reduce the size of government. Read more here.

72nd House District

John Dolza, D

Dolza did not respond to a voicemail seeking more information. He did not appear to have a campaign website at the time this voter guide was being written.

Mike Mueller, R

Mueller is the incumbent 72nd District state representative, serving his first term. Mueller prioritizes election integrity, countering liberal policies, reducing gas prices and serving his district. He is the Republican vice chair of the House Regulatory Reform Committee and serves on three other committees. He previously served as 51st District state representative. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran, small business owner and former Washtenaw County Sheriff and Livingston County Sheriff deputy. Mueller is a husband and father of four children. Read more here.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Janise O'Neil Robinson's name, and that she is a native of Taylor, Michigan.

This year's voter guide was compiled by reporters Clara Hendrickson, John Wisely, Arpan Lobo, Paul Egan, Todd Spangler, Niraj Warikoo, Christina Hall, Bill Laytner, Gina Kaufman, Ahmad Garnett, Jenna Prestininzi, Bella Bakeman, Carmella Guaglianone and Diamy Wang, with editing help from Emily Lawler, Pat Byrne, Sally Tato and Jewel Gopwani.

Questions about this guide, or about election coverage in the Free Press? Contact State Government & Politics Editor Emily Lawler: [email protected]. 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Voter guide: State House races in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb