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Ann Arbor MI Politics & Government

Ann Arbor MI Politics & Civic News — Page 2

Covering Ann Arbor City Council, Washtenaw County Council, Michigan Legislature, and your federal representatives in Washington, D.C. Accountability journalism for Washtenaw County residents.

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Washtenaw County sits inside one of the most layered governmental structures in the region. Residents answer to at least five levels of elected authority simultaneously: the federal government, statewide offices, Washtenaw County Council, Ann Arbor City Council, and school district boards — each a separately elected body covering its own geographic slice of the county.

Washtenaw’s federal delegation includes US Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI District 6) and Senators Gary C. Peters and Elissa Slotkin.

Washtenaw County Council controls property tax millage, land-use zoning outside city limits, and fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Downtown zoning decisions and the Ann Arbor Police Department budget run through Ann Arbor City Council. State funding for schools, roads, and Medicaid flows from the Michigan Legislature. The Washtenaw County Elections and Voter Registration Office administers local balloting under MI Election Commission oversight.

HEREAnnArbor covers Washtenaw County Council meetings, Ann Arbor City Council sessions, Michigan Legislature session, federal delegation votes and town halls, school board meetings, and candidate filing windows. We also pull FOIA-sourced travel records and contracts at both the city and county level. If it shapes how Washtenaw County is governed, it’s HERE.

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NATIONAL 261 responses

What do you think: Appeals Court Sets Saturday Deadline?

Strongly support — this is overdue 35%
Cautious support — depends on the details 29%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 18%
Oppose — not the right direction for Ann Arbor 18%
NATIONAL 314 responses

What do you think: Intelligence Chief Warns Iran Is Stepping Up Plots?

Strongly support — this is overdue 28%
Cautious support — depends on the details 30%
Skeptical — need to see the cost first 17%
Oppose — not the right direction for Ann Arbor 25%
Political Coverage

Local & State Political News

Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, & Michigan Capitol
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Benson Outraises James in Michigan Governor Money Race
Oct 24, 2026
LANSING, Mich. — Democrat Jocelyn Benson brought in more money than Republican John James over the last stretch of reporting in the race for Michigan governor, but James heads into the final days with the bigger bank account, according to pre-general election campaign finance statements filed Friday, Oct. 23. The reports cover Aug. 25 through
Sanders Brings Student Town Hall to Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor
Oct 24, 2026
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to take the Michigan Theater stage Monday, Oct. 26, for an Ann Arbor town hall aimed at students, part of a late campaign push for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. The program, titled Students vs. Billionaires and put on by More Perfect University, starts at
Twelve Candidates Vie for Five Ann Arbor School Board Seats
Oct 24, 2026
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Twelve people are on the Nov. 3 ballot for five seats on the Ann Arbor Public Schools board, and city voters can begin casting ballots in person this weekend. Nine candidates are competing for four full four-year terms. Rima Mohammad, seeking a second term, is the lone incumbent in that field.
Early Voting Opens at the Civic Center in Novi
Oct 24, 2026 · MI Statewide · HERE Novi
Via HERE Novi: NOVI, Mich. — Voters from the City of Novi, Novi Township and the City of Northville can start casting ballots in person Saturday at the Novi Civic Center, 45175 W. 10 Mile Road. The shared site opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. each day through Sunday, Nov. 1. The one exception is […]
Sanders Joins El-Sayed for Sunday Rally in Grand Rapids
Oct 24, 2026 · MI Statewide · HERE Grand Rapids
Via HERE Grand Rapids: GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will campaign in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Oct. 25, alongside Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat. The event, billed as a Michigan First rally, is set for 6:30 p.m. at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Doors open two hours […]
Obama Rallies With El-Sayed and Benson in Detroit Saturday
Oct 24, 2026 · MI Statewide · HERE Detroit
Via HERE Detroit: DETROIT, Mich. — Former President Barack Obama is in Detroit on Saturday to campaign for Michigan Democrats on the same day the state opens early in-person voting. Obama is set to appear with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for an open U.S. Senate seat, along with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and other party […]
UP, Northern Michigan Fire Crews Get $2.1M in FEMA Grants
Oct 23, 2026 · MI Statewide · HERE Grand Rapids
Via HERE Grand Rapids: LANSING, Mich. — A dozen fire departments and townships across the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan are getting more than $2.1 million in federal money for breathing gear, trucks, hoses and training. Slotkin and Peters, who represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate, shared the news Thursday. The dollars flow through two FEMA programs, the Assistance […]
Unsigned Flock Camera Texts Hit Plymouth-Canton School Board Race
Oct 23, 2026 · MI Statewide · HERE Plymouth
Via HERE Plymouth: PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Voters in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district have been getting unsigned text messages that wrongly link school board candidates to Flock surveillance cameras, less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 election. Candidates Joe Tollefson and Craig Olzak were among those named. Both said the cameras have never been part of their […]
Elected Officials

Your Ann Arbor Reps

Every official with a vote on Ann Arbor's future — pulled live from our roster.

US Congress — MI
US House
Debbie Dingell
US Representative
MI District 6
D
US Senate
US Senate
Gary C. Peters
US Senator
Michigan
D
US Senate
Elissa Slotkin
US Senator
Michigan
D
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Ann Arbor is in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Mayor: Christopher Taylor; Washtenaw County Administrator: Greg Dill; Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Chair: Katie Scott.

Latest Ann Arbor Politics News — Page 2

  1. Kagan Says Court Election Rulings Have Hurt Democracy

    WASHINGTON — Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday faulted the conservative majority on the Supreme Court for a run of election decisions she said have pushed the country further…

  2. North Korea Orders Border Troops to Hit Back

    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has instructed soldiers along its southern frontier to respond swiftly and forcefully if South Korean forces endanger them, state media reported Wednesday,…

  3. Nearly 790,000 Michigan Voters Have Already Cast Ballots

    LANSING, Mich. — With two weeks to go before the Nov. 3 general election, 789,572 Michigan voters had already turned in a ballot as of Tuesday morning, the…

  4. Michigan Proposal 1 Puts Constitutional Convention on Ballot

    LANSING, Mich. — Michigan voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to open the state constitution to a full rewrite, and a bipartisan coalition is working to defeat…

  5. Michigan Legislature Control Hinges

    LANSING, Mich. — Both chambers of the Michigan Legislature are up for grabs on Nov. 3, and the outcome will shape what the next governor, either Democrat Jocelyn…

  6. Democrat, Independent Vie for Ann Arbor Third Ward Seat

    ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Third Ward voters in Ann Arbor will pick between a Democrat and an independent this November to fill the City Council seat held by…

  7. Ann Arbor Council Seeks Denser Zoning Near Campus

    ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Ann Arbor City Council has started the process of bringing taller, denser buildings to neighborhoods next to the University of Michigan campus, voting…

  8. Midterm Ad Spending Tops $10B as Super PACs Pour in Cash

    WASHINGTON — Money for political ads in this year’s midterm elections has blown past $10 billion, a record for a non-presidential year, and the total is on track…

  9. Rogers Targets El-Sayed Support as Obama Plans Detroit Rally

    DETROIT — Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers used a televised town hall in the Detroit area on Monday night to argue that his Democratic rival, Abdul El-Sayed, can…

  10. Paxton and Talarico Locked in Tight Texas Senate Race

    AUSTIN, Texas — With the midterm election less than a month away, the U.S. Senate race in Texas has turned into a genuine contest, an unusual spot for…

  11. Data Center Legislation Becomes Common Ground

    LANSING, Mich. — Two weeks before Michigan votes, data centers have become one of the few subjects where candidates from both parties sound alike: most say the projects…

  12. Gaza Tensions Shadow Michigan Senate Race

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