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ANN ARBOR, MI · SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN EDITION · SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026
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Ann Arbor MI Politics & Government

Ann Arbor MI Politics & Civic News — Page 3

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 466 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 363 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 3

  1. No Kings Rallies Across Michigan Turn

    FERNDALE, Mich. — Saturday's round of No Kings demonstrations across Michigan carried a new emphasis: get voters to the polls early. At least 100 events were held around…

  2. Federal Judge Tosses Trump Suit Against New York City

    NEW YORK — The Trump administration lost another round in its legal fight against so-called sanctuary cities late Thursday, when federal Judge Ramón E. Reyes Jr. in Brooklyn…

  3. Carney Urges Albertans to Reject Separation Path in Monday

    EDMONTON, Alberta — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up two days of campaigning in his home province Friday night, telling a rally in the city where he…

  4. Democrats Lean on Iran War Votes in Midterm Ad Blitz

    WASHINGTON — With Election Day about three weeks off, Democrats and their allies are making the war with Iran a centerpiece of their closing television pitch, pairing votes…

  5. MARTA Still Has No Date for New Trains in Atlanta

    ATLANTA, Ga. — Riders waiting on MARTA next-generation railcars still do not have a start date. Agency chief Jonathan Hunt said during a public Atlanta City Council Transportation…

  6. Mississippi High Court Backs Michigan Consumer Judgment

    LANSING, Mich. — Mississippi highest court has green-lit Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel efforts to collect on a consumer-protection award against an out-of-state online furniture seller that took…

  7. Senate Kids Online Safety Bills Still Idle in House

    LANSING, Mich. — Sponsors of Michigan Senate legislation known as Kids Over Clicks pressed the House again Friday to schedule a vote on online-safety measures that passed the…

  8. Senate Bill Push Renews Michigan Paid Family Leave Fight

    DETROIT, Mich. — Lawmakers and advocates gathered in Detroit on Friday, as a multi-state paid-leave bus tour crossed Michigan, to revive momentum for a state paid family and…

  9. Election Law Keeps Immigration Agents Off Michigan Polls

    LANSING, Mich. — Online rumors about Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents watching Michigan voting sites collide with limits written into federal and state election law as early voting…

  10. FBI Moves Toward Sole-Source UFC Contract for Agent Combat

    QUANTICO, Va. — Federal contracting papers show the FBI lining up a yearlong, no-bid deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to put special agents through mixed-martial-arts defensive tactics…

  11. Privacy Groups Challenge DHS Nationwide Voter Record Sweep

    WASHINGTON — Civic plaintiffs opened a federal case here Thursday against Homeland Security, saying the department quietly assembled a vast store of Americans registration files from nearly every…

  12. Trump Faults Kyiv Over Fresh Hits on Russian Fuel Plants

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump blasted Kyiv for restarting attacks on Russian oil and diesel plants, saying the raids lift world fuel prices after an energy pause he…