Michigan voters have spoken. On November 3, they chose a new governor, a new Legislature and new leaders in Lansing. Nearly two in five lawmakers next session will be new to their chamber. We congratulate Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson and every candidate who earned the trust of their neighbors. Campaigning is hard. Governing is harder.
Here is what we believe: the election changes who holds power, not what Michigan needs.
And, with power comes responsibility. The men and women working the line at a manufacturing plant still want a paycheck that goes further. The small business owner on Main Street still wants a permit answered in weeks, not months. The parents in Saginaw still want to know her third grader can read. None of that changed on Election Day.
Campaigns end, the facts remain. Whoever was elected inherits the same Michigan the rest of us live in. Michigan ranks 32nd in economic outlook in the 2026 Rich States, Poor States index. As recently as 2019, we ranked 12th. Ohio now sits at 15th. Indiana is in the top 10. Michigan ranks 44th in the nation in 4th grade reading, with only 25% of our 4th graders read at or above proficient. Michigan’s 4.25% income tax is more than double the 1.89% average of the five states Michiganders move to most, according to ALEC’s analysis.
Michiganders know we’re slipping further behind. In a September WDIV/Detroit News poll of likely voters, 52% said Michigan is on the wrong track. A March poll from MRG found the same pattern, with 46% saying we are on the wrong track. In a University of Michigan survey released in July, 60% of local government leaders said the state is on the wrong track, a 9-point jump from last year. Only 26% of voters said Michigan is headed in the right direction.
Voters made a choice about who should lead, but they did not send a message to stay on the same course, changing direction for Michigan is a mandate every new officeholder now shares.
Our priorities remain the same
- Empower every student for a lifetime of success. Kids must learn to read so they can read to learn. Mississippi climbed into the top 10 by committing to the science of reading, teacher training, support for struggling kids, literacy-based promotion and A-F grades that tell parents how their school is doing. Michigan should do the same, as well as join the at least 30 states that have opted in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit so more kids have more options at no cost to taxpayers or schools.
- Ignite Michigan’s business creation, job growth and career potential. To offer Michigan workers better careers, we need to empower job providers to create more opportunities here. We should turn the MEDC from a dealmaker for a favored few into a one-stop shop that helps any business open, grow or move here. Restore the balance of Right to Work, so unions remain free to make their case and workers become free to make their choice. And to grow our state we should set a responsible, disciplined path to eliminate the tax on work.
- Elevate quality of life to attract and retain families. We must stay the course to fully fund the pension promises made to teachers, troopers and state employees, rather than handing that bill to our kids. And, meet rising electricity demand by replacing cost-raising mandates with sound planning for affordable, dependable energy.
Time to turn Michigan around
These problems won’t solve themselves, but we can look to other states who have implemented proven reforms and seen results. We will change direction only when enough people demand it, loudly and without letting up. Other states are recruiting our workers, our businesses, and our kids right now. Every year we slip behind our peers, more Michigan families face the same question: “stay, or go?”
We refuse to accept managed decline. Michigan has the people, the water, the energy assets and the work ethic to lead the nation again. What it needs is the will to make different choices. The West Michigan Policy Forum will work with anyone willing to move Michigan forward. We’ll call out anything that keeps it stuck. And we’ll hold everyone in power to the same standard, regardless of the letter after their name.
The election is over. The fight for Michigan’s future direction is just beginning. Michigan families don’t need the middle ground. They need a state worth staying in, and we intend to help deliver it.