Michigan poll results indicate that the GOP has nominated several candidates who were loyal to former president Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party nominations indicate a degree of infighting and rifts over certain issues.
Trump-backed Tudor Dixon won the nod for the governor’s seat and will go up against the incumbent Gretchen Whitmer. Dixon fought a relatively crowded field to emerge victorious and has focused her attacks on her opponent’s COVID response. When asked on Fox whether Trump had won the 2020 Michigan election, Dixon hedged, which CNN has surmised to be a possible sign of her starting an election pivot.
In her victory speech, Dixon said “The battle lines in this race couldn’t be any clearer. This is gonna be an epic battle between a conservative businesswoman and mother and a far-left birthing parent and career politician”, adding, “Now we have the opportunity to truly hold Gretchen Whitmer accountable for the pain she has inflicted upon each and every one of us during the past four years”.
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The key race for the Democrats was in the 11th congressional district of Michigan. Haley Stevens went up against Andy Levin as the two incumbents duked it out, after having been elected in 2018.
The contest exposed rifts in the party like where Democrats stand on the Israel issue and the broader ideological direction of the party.
For the GOP, the 3rd district was a key contest with Peter Meijer and John Gibbs going up against each other. Meijer was the second Republican to vote for Trump’s impeachment but lost to Gibbs, who the former president endorsed. While Meijer had voted to remove Trump just days after taking office, Gibbs backed Trump’s lies about the 2020 election being stolen from him.
MI 1
Democrat Bob Lorinser and Republican Jack Bergman won nominations
MI 2
Democrat Jerry Hilliard and Republican John Moolenaar were nominated
MI 3
Democrat Hillary Scholten and Republican John Gibbs were nominated
MI 4
Bill Huizenga of the GOP won the nomination
MI 5
Democrat Bart Goldberg and Republican Tim Walberg won respective party nominations
MI 6
Democrat Debbie Dingell won the nomination, while the Republican candidate hasn’t been announced yet
MI 7
Democrat Elissa Slotkin and Republican Tom Barrett have been nominated
MI 8
Democrat Dan Kildee and Republican Paul Junge won party nominations
MI 9
Democrat Brian Jaye and Republican Lisa McClain have been nominated
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MI 10
Democrat Carl Marlinga and Republican John James secured nominations
MI 11
Democrat Haley Stevens and Republican Mark Ambrose were nominated
MI 12
Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Republican Steven Elliott are nominated
MI 13
Republican Martell Bivings has won the GOP nomination while the Democratic Party doesn’t have a clear winner yet