While the nation’s most closely watched elections in NYC, Virginia, and New Jersey ended Tuesday with disappointing results for Republicans, attention is already turning to the 2026 midterms.
Michigan will hold elections for both U.S. Senate and governor, and new polling shows Republicans gaining ground — with the Republican Senate candidate now favored to win in the general election.
Mike Rogers is running largely unopposed in the Republican primary for Senate, and with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, serious competition from within the party is unlikely. The top three Democratic candidates in their primary are in a dead heat. U.S. Congresswoman Haley Stevens is at 26 percent, tying with state Senator Mallory McMorrow with 25 percent, with Abdul El-Sayed close behind at 20 percent.
Polling from John Garst suggests that if any of the Democratic candidates went to a general election against Rogers, he would win handily.
In a race against Abdul El-Sayed, Rogers holds 45 percent support to El-Sayed’s 31 percent, with 24 percent undecided. Against Mallory McMorrow, Rogers leads 46 percent to 39 percent, with 15 percent undecided. And in a matchup with Haley Stevens, Rogers leads 47 percent to 40 percent, with 12 percent still undecided. In other words, Rogers currently has a double-digit lead over each of his opponents.
As for the governor's race in Michigan, we won't have to deal with Gretchen Whitmer anymore. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is likely to win the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, Congressman John James leads by 33 percent, though that could change if 2022 GOP nominee Tudor Dixon decides to run again. If she were to run, she would have an 8 percent lead over James.
Dixon is a staunch America First conservative closely aligned with President Trump, but has not yet announced her plans to run for governor. The pollsters have argued that "if Dixon were to run, it would change the race for the GOP nomination dramatically."