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Ann Arbor MI Politics & Government

Ann Arbor MI Politics & Civic News — Page 5

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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POLITICSBenson Outraises James in Michigan Governor Money Race ◆ POLITICSSanders Brings Student Town Hall to Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor ◆ POLITICSTwelve Candidates Vie for Five Ann Arbor School Board Seats ◆ POLITICSUP, Northern Michigan Fire Crews Get $2.1M in FEMA Grants ◆ POLITICSEarly Voting Opens at Campus Sites in Ann Arbor ◆ POLITICSEarly Voting Opens at the Civic Center in Novi ◆ POLITICSSanders Joins El-Sayed for Sunday Rally in Grand Rapids ◆ POLITICSObama Rallies With El-Sayed and Benson in Detroit Saturday ◆ POLITICSUnsigned Flock Camera Texts Hit Plymouth-Canton School Board Race ◆ POLITICSCanton Leader Responds After ICE Arrests Near Hulsing Elementary ◆ POLITICSDemocrat, Independent Vie for Ann Arbor Third Ward Seat ◆ POLITICSAnn Arbor Council Seeks Denser Zoning Near Campus ◆

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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Oct 24 Benson Outraises James in Michigan Governor Money Race
Oct 24 Sanders Brings Student Town Hall to Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor
Oct 24 Early Voting Opens at the Civic Center in Novi
Oct 24 Sanders Joins El-Sayed for Sunday Rally in Grand Rapids
Oct 24 Obama Rallies With El-Sayed and Benson in Detroit Saturday
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NATIONAL 318 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%
Based on our coverage · October 24, 2026
NATIONAL 360 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%
Based on our coverage · October 24, 2026
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Benson Outraises James in Michigan Governor Money Race
Oct 24, 2026
Benson Outraises James in Michigan Governor Money Race
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
Sanders Brings Student Town Hall to Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor
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
Twelve Candidates Vie for Five Ann Arbor School Board Seats
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
Early Voting Opens at the Civic Center in 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
Sanders Joins El-Sayed for Sunday Rally in 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
Obama Rallies With El-Sayed and Benson in Detroit Saturday
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
UP, Northern Michigan Fire Crews Get $2.1M in FEMA Grants
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
Unsigned Flock Camera Texts Hit Plymouth-Canton School Board Race
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 […]
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US Congress — MI
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Debbie Dingell
US Representative
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US Senate
US Senate
Gary C. Peters
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Michigan
D
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Elissa Slotkin
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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 5

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  2. Proposal E Public Power Plan Faces Pushback

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  5. Grand Rapids, Mich., hosts fiery El-Sayed-Rogers debate

    GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Senate hopefuls Abdul El-Sayed (D) and Mike Rogers (R) traded personal shots Thursday night here in their first face-to-face general-election clash. The hour-long televised…

  6. Ann Arbor, Mich., hosts Gilchrist-Forlini secretary debate

    ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Thursday night at the University of Michigan, Michigan’s secretary of state race took the stage as candidates traded views on election integrity, appointments and…

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    ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Ann Arbor, Michigan, City Council on Monday night, Oct. 5, passed a resolution directing the city attorney to challenge the legality of Proposal E,…

  9. Whitehouse Renews Supreme Court Term-Limits Push With Implications for Michigan Law

    Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, is set to reintroduce legislation aimed at fundamentally altering the structure and appointment process of the United States Supreme Court. The proposed bill,…

  10. Qatar Mediation Effort Focuses on Iran De-escalation Talks

    A diplomatic initiative spearheaded by Qatar is providing a new avenue for de-escalation talks involving Iran, following a period of heightened tensions in the Gulf region. This effort…

  11. Supreme Court Allows Texas Age-Verification Law to Take Effect Amid Legal Challenges

    The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a Texas law mandating age verification for online content to take effect, permitting its implementation while legal challenges against it proceed. The…

  12. Supreme Court Justices Kagan and Barrett Testify on Budget and Security Needs

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